Demon and Human: What Never Goes Away
by linkinparkfan9799
Summary: Rin, the faithful girl always with Sesshomaru, gets into something even Sesshomaru's not sure is safe for any mortal. Mari, the faithful fox demon with Kagome and her friends, entwines with Rin's adventure and together face the dangers of partage.
1. Improvise?

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Rin: Improvise?_

Jaken snores, so I can't rest. I yawn, tired and my back feels like rocks are stabbing into it for some reason. I prod myself off the rough bark of the tree I lie against and scour my surroundings. No Lord Sesshomaru; I wonder where he went off to. He usual does that, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I stand up, wobbling a bit, and circle a nearby tree. What was this weird feeling at the back of my neck? I know it's not really freezing out, so I feel the back of my neck. I feel like screaming, but I'd rather not; there's some body part on there. I pry it off and hold back the puke raising up; yep, definitely a dead, gray hand. I drop it on the ground and resist the urge to scream when it grabs my ankle. I squeeze my eyes tight and clutch my hands into firm fists; this isn't good at all. Jaken's still sleeping, that much I can tell. I shake my leg a bit to get it off, but it just starts to dig its nails into my flesh. I feel a shiver shoot up my spine, so I huff silently and strive to pry it off; failed, really failed. It flies at my face and I grab the stump, trying to pry the thing off. It digs its nails into my flesh once again and I fall on the ground, struggling with the stupid dead hand. Was this a dream, my silly imagination, or just reality? Well, I'd like to figure that out and fast.

I manage to pry it off and throw it into a bush, making no sound. I huff and stand, brushing off the dirt on my clothing. Let me say, that thing is stubborn. It jumps up and I dodge it by [ ] that much (actual size). I cover my mouth to prevent from screaming and I start running, mapping my routes in my head. Oh, why did I have to be defenseless? I jump behind a tree and it goes straight ahead. I smirk and try to stand, but footsteps make me freeze. I turn slowly to see some monk. He looks familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.

"What are you doing out here?" he asks.

I blink. I slowly stand and try walking back, but he gasps and grips my elbow. "You must be one of the missing village girls!"

Gee, now I know I've heard this before. This was that monk who tried to take me to some human village a bit ago. Man, he's a pain. "No, I'm not."

He gasps and makes me turn. "You're that girl with that demon! Where is he?"

"Couldn't tell you," I shrug.

"Why? Is he forcing you not to say?"

I shrug him off. "No! One, I really don't know where he is, and two, I would never betray Lord Sesshomaru!"

He tries to grab my wrist, but I dash past him, going yet farther from the site. I try to remember the places, but I'm a bit more concentrated on getting away from this annoying monk. I'm serious, he's a real pain! I look back for a bit and smack into a tree, making my vision blur. I blink and spit out a palm full of blood out of my mouth. The monk grabs my wrist but I jerk my hand out of his grasp. I keep running, panting heavily. Why am I fading? Why am I still feeling that cold feeling down my neck? Why am I so confused? I look through my blurry vision and run ahead, not sure if I'm running into a tree or entering a path. I look back and wince, turning back too late to see the answer was indeed a tree. I groan and fall on my back, blood trickling out of my nose and blood bubbling out of my mouth. I feel as if I'm choking on the stuff and trust me; it doesn't taste appealing once it's yours. The monk helps me up and picks me up the same way he did that day he tried to force me out of that cave. I sigh and look around, reminding myself that my vision was nearly black and the only thing I can possibly see is my hand covering my nose. I try to wriggle out, but I'm just too weak. I fade.

000M+R000

I wake up in some hut. SH*T, I'm already in yet another human village? How was Sesshomaru or Master Jaken going to find me now? A-Un might, but I'm human, and in a human village is a whole bunch of others with an identical scent, so that idea's out. I sit up and wince at the pain in my back. Great, it's worsening! I stand up and exit, realizing my face was covered with bandages covering every part of my face except my nostrils and irises (thankfully). I blink and feel at the bandages, searching for some end to the wrapping. I hear screaming, although it's faint. Is it because of the bandages or just that it was far? I start scratching madly at the bandages, trying to find a way to peel them off. That stupid monk and some doctor run towards me and the young doctor picks me up the same way the monk did every time he tried to force me somewhere. I rustle a bit and realize I can't get the bandages loose. I rip maniacally at them and it muffles my screams of anger and terror.

A burst of fire barely misses the monk, so I look up. It's some young lady, red hair and eyes. Her skin is pale and her clothing is the usual wear of a woman, but it's red with a green dragon print. A blue flame ball twirls in her palm and a fox tail is on her behind. She sternly stares at me, then the monk and doctor.

"Let the girl go," she orders. "She belongs with a demon, not humans."

"THANK YOU!" I exclaim, although only the doctor and the monk here me, since it's muffled.

"Never!" the monk exclaims. The rest of the monks come out and start circling her, making her smirk as if she was playing something. They do what ever they do and the monk pulls out that demon killing staff of his. "DEMON BE GONE!"

The girl crouches down in pain, wincing. She glares at the monk and starts hissing. "Akiko and Kota will hunt you down, you B*TCH!"

She lurches up and scratches one of his eyes out. She kicks the doctor across the face and grabs me, letting both of us escape. I want to wriggle out, but she's heading into the trees, sniffing here and there.

"Where are you taking me?" I demand, although it's muffled again.

"D*MMIT! Who's your guardian, because his demonic aura needs strengthening!"

She's returning me? "Who are you?" I ask.

She stops, setting me down and peeling the bandages off. "Who puts bandages over someone's… oh…that'd explain it."

I feel at my lips and feel a huge cut. I feel my face and dig my finger into cuts and bruises, finding only my eyes and right cheek were the only things not damaged. I sigh and she grabs my hand, standing up straight and leading the both of us deeper into the trees. She was nice, well, to me. I look up at her and stiffen my mouth.

"Who's Akiko and Kota?" I ask.

She smiles down at me. "Akiko's my sister. She's like me, but she has green hair and eyes, and green clothing with a red print dragon. We're fox demons. Now Kota is a wolf demon with very short, croppy black hair and green eyes. He's usually in a challenging mood, but he sometimes is in a sour mood when he doesn't fight other demons."

"Hmm…must be nice to be with family…" I sigh, thinking I was inaudible.

"I know yours was killed by bandits," she shrugs, surprising me. "Our Pa is the only parent we have left, thanks to some demon priestess who killed our Ma. She was nice, even though she didn't know I was born…"

"How's that possible?" I wonder.

"Easy, demons are resilient, right?"

"Right."

"Well, when we were inside our Ma, Akiko and I collided, since we're twins. I bonded with her and my soul transferred into her body, along with hers. It was a mess for most of her life, until a month ago when I was released."

I nod, trusting her. I know it's not the greatest idea, but hey, I need to get back to Lord Sesshomaru. I notice she's limping slightly and I ease with her pace, giving her time to limp.

000M+R000

We walk into a wide area; different from the site Jaken was in last I saw him. It was different, and I think I know why she was having difficulties finding Sesshomaru; we were going the wrong way. I groan and kick a rock, not feeling much pain. I look around and pant, knowing that I'm lost, and that Sesshomaru probably couldn't find me. We have to go back.

"We have to go to the opposite direction," I tell Mari. "Lord Sesshomaru might've been there!"

She nods and picks me up onto her back, running. I hear rustling, making me turn a bit. It's that group of monks. I sigh and look forward, not intending to be smacked by any other d*m trees. I look up and see low branches. Maybe I can improvise? It's worth a shot. I grab a branch and Mari lowers me, turning and revealing that blue fire ball.

"FOX FIRE!" she screams as she hurls it at the group. The fire doesn't seem to really hurt them, they just think they are. She smirks at me. "Did you really think I'd hurt those misunderstanding monks?"

I smirk back and she picks me up again, but something happens; a demon pops out and slashes at her arm. Her arm dodges, but I notice a small pink jewel tucked inside. The demon heads to bite the neck, and this time, he doesn't miss.

**A.N: Poor Mari! I hope you'll review enough for me to decide what the F*CK I'm going to make happen. I hope you enjoyed chapter 1 of my second Inuyasha fan fiction!**


	2. The Village of Leeches

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Mari: The Village of Leeches_

My mind flooded with pain and confusion. Why was this little demon attacking me? Oh right, the Sacred Jewel for demons. Akiko told me to be careful and cautious and what do I do? Get my throat ripped open by some wild cat demon. I rip it off and my neck heals itself. The girl, who I know as Rin, faces the monk, armed with nothing but a thick oak branch from the tree above our heads. I swat the demon away and pick up Rin, dashing to get somewhere safe. Where is that? No idea, to be honest. I'm sorry, but I sort of have other things on my mind other than ideas of where the F*CK to go!

"Stupid monk and demon," Rin mutters bitterly. "This all began with that gray hand, I swear it!"

I furrow my brows. "Gray hand?"

"It felt cold and dead. Any explanations for that one?" she sighs.

I nod. "This Sacred Jewel for Demons seems to have been raising demons from the grave. Why, I have no idea. Akiko, one of the two makers of this jewel, trusted me, the second maker. It's also known as the weapon of concealment, so it wouldn't surprise me if the corpses belong to the demons she finished."

Rin shivered. "She…she kills demons?"

I look inside the jewel. This Sesshomaru guy isn't one of the demons Kota or Akiko would bother slaying, especially since he took in an orphan. "Don't worry. Your Lord Sesshomaru is one of the better demons, so Akiko and Kota won't hurt him; especially with a young lady such as yourself under his care."

She sort of blushed at the fact she wasn't called just a kid. "I guess not," she smiles.

My leg stabs at my nerves. If that stupid Koga didn't over react to that joke…ah, he would've injured me anyways. I flinch as that wild cat demon charges at that same wound. Rin bonks it with the branch, making it cling to her ankle. She winces and shakes it off, bleeding severely. I don't see how this can get worse (as I roll my eyes at nothing).

_Sesshomaru_

"JAKEN!" I roar.

That idiotic…how could he just _loose _Rin? She might be a child, but…SHE'S NOT THAT HARD TO JUST LOOSE! Jaken quivers and walks out from behind a tree.

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" That…that…

"…HOW COULD YOU JUST LOOSE RIN? ARE YOU THAT MUCH OF AN IDIOTIC-"

"Hey!" a female calls. I turn, hoping it's something about Rin. "Have you two seen a girl about my age…red hair and eyes…I guess she's with some child, by the way my jewel says it."

"Jewel?" Jaken wonders.

"Sacred Jewel for Demons," she answers. I notice her eyes and hair are both green and in her hand is a small mirror with a jewel showing inside. "I'm lucky enough to know who's around her, but I can't-"she bangs it against a tree, "-get it to-"she bangs it again, nearly cracking it, "-show Mari's location!"

"Mari?" I raise a brow.

"Yeah, that's her name. My Jewel keeps saying she's looking for someone named…wait a minute…you're Sesshomaru, correct?" I nod. "Yeah…well…she found a young child; I guess she knows you, since my twin hasn't met anyone named Sesshomaru, last time I checked."

"Is the girl named Rin?" Jaken asks; well, more like pleas that Rin's found so I don't slaughter him. Fat chance.

"I don't know. This jewel isn't with me, but it's second maker, Mari. I trusted it to her, but guess where she got herself."

I ponder about it. Could this child be Rin? "We'll help search," I decide. "Anyways, that child could be the one we were looking for. Right, Jaken?"

Jaken nods in a hurry, worried that if he doses, I'm going to take my chance to rip his head clean off.

"Thank you! If you see her," she hands me another small mirror, "tap that three times and I'll know where she is. Thank you!"

She walks away, a bit relieved that her twin was going to be found easier. I clutch the mirror and turn my head to see Jaken from the corner of my eye. "If you don't get a move on, I might change my mind on allowing you to live, got that?"

Jaken nods and sprints of, me behind him. _Rin,_ I sigh inside, _be safe._

_Rin_

I clutch my heart. Something hurts, but I don't mind it much. I shrink as Mari sets me down on the base of a tree, sitting down on the opposite way. I shiver as that cold feeling on the back of my neck bits into my muscle. I look at Mari and she stares at the sky. I can tell she's hurting, but why was she also hurting emotionally?

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

She nods, admitting it. "I heard there's a village nearby filled with only men. I'm just scared, is all."

The jewel she carries turns darker making me jump a bit. "What the-"

"The Sacred Jewel for Demons," she answers, not facing me. "Any decrease in friendship, love, wisdom, or courage, and it grows blacker. Only good demons can purify it, and I'm just too cowardly to purify it myself. Akiko…well…it has been purified, but it usually just brings good luck and sucks something inside it, so…"

I nod and twist the branch I carry in m hands. She bangs her jewel against the tree she leans against and it flickers an image of a green haired and eyed fox demon. She sighs and tries again. This time, it flickers a picture of Lord Sesshomaru. I smile and she looks at me.

"Akiko must've handed him a jewel mirror," she admitted. "I guess he's looking for you."

"But why would your sister know about me?" I ask.

"The mirror occasionally gives hints on where the jewel is, and she knows I have it. She must've seen you somewhere."

I shrug and horses ride up. Mari sighs and I stand with her, armed with my tree branch. The man licks his lips, making me shiver in disgust. A young boy walks out from behind the horse and turns to the man.

"I like the younger one," he whispers.

Mari and I gap. My eye twitches and cold sweat pours down Mari's face. The man laughs and drags out a sword making Mari gulp. I straighten and give myself a blank expression. "I suggest you put that away," I state.

The man scoffs. "Just come along."

I huff. "Put-that-away."

The man shoves it directly so the very tip is touching my nose. I roll my eyes and grab the handle, shoving it aside and yanking the sword out of his hands. The horse strikes my in the ribs with his hooves and I fly back, screaming as one of my ribs shatter. Man that hurt!

_Sesshomaru_

I turn. That sound…it sounds like Rin screaming. I run towards it, hoping Rin's there and in good health. Jaken struggles to catch up, but Rin was most likely in danger, and she was only a child, not a warrior.

_Mari_

I snarl. This was a young lady here, not some piece of SH*T! I lunge and the horse smacks me in the face. I curse the horse and its master under my breath and shake Rin's shoulders a bit. She's unconscious. I growl and lunge again, my claws scorching fox fire that harms humans. A seal launches at my heart and I can't move. It's that monk. The group circles me as the man grabs Rin and gets her on the horse. I flinch and the main monk lifts up his staff.

"EVIL DEMON BE GONE!" he cries, shooting that beam of light at me.

I scream, and nobody comes.

_Rin_

I open my eyes and see Mari's going farther…no…I'm going farther. She's crouching down in pain, screaming and crying blood. I cry a few tears myself and stab the sword into the side of the horse, making it fall and allowing my escape. I knock the staff out of the monk's hands and Mari stands, furious to the core. She grabs my neckline and tugs me behind her, saving me.

"Don't hurt that girl!" the monk demands.

"Ha! Don't tell me what to do," she mocks. She winks at me, putting on a very good performance. "Bye, you B*STARD!"

She flings the fire at their bodies, although I noticed it was the type that didn't really hurt. Mari lifts me onto her back and charges past that man who was the pervert. I feel something grab my ankle and yank me back, or at least try. I squeeze my eyes and Mari kicks him or her across the face, being through back and squishing me between her and a tree. I open one eye to see Jaken.

"Rin, come on!" he cries.

"Don't listen!" Mari orders.

"Rin!"

I look between the two and notice something; the staff of two heads has two woman heads, one young, one old. This isn't Jaken. I remain on Mari's back and she flings thee scorching fox fire at him, making him show an awful true form and burn into the ground. Mari runs away, and I pass out from exhaustion.

_Mari_

I pant as I approach a village. All I see are men, and a few boys. I start to back away, but that man from earlier pointed his sword at my back.

"Go forward."

**A.N: Okay, so I love suspense and typing these things to last. So what? Review and I hope you enjoyed chap. 2**


	3. Unexpected Side Effects

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Sesshomaru: Unexpected Side Effects_

I come to a stop where I heard the screaming. The group of monks I've ran into before are here, and traces of blood here and there. I growl and realize it's Rin's and another scent I'm not familiar with. Could it be that woman's sister?

"Rin?" I call. "Rin!"

That monk throws a seal or ten at me, but I slice them with my demon sword. "You're quite a stubborn demon…" he mumbles.

"Where's the girl?" I demand.

His group circles around me, and it seems there doing the charm when the demon locks in place. I jump up and land in front of the monk, lifting him up by the neckline.

"I'll ask again- where's the girl?"

He tries to get out of my grasp, so I just throw him against a tree, knowing I wasn't going to get anything. Where was Rin?

_Rin_

I keep running, even though they just keep restraining me for two seconds. I scream at the top of my lungs. This is completely ridiculous! A woman, about in her mid-life, comes out from behind a wall and slashes some green line of light, slicing off the heads of the men. I widen my eyes and keep running, wanting to find Mari. Oh, what was keeping her? The woman grabs the back of my neckline and I scream, trying to alarm Mari. Oh where is she? We need to get out because she can't loose that jewel and I want to stay with Lord Sesshomaru! Is that too much to ask?

"Young child," she calls.

"Stay away!" I cry, trying to stay brave. "I-I'm warning you!"

"Young child, I'm not to fear," she repeats.

I keep running, praying I find Lord Sesshomaru and fast. Oh, where's Mari? Someone collides with me and I fall, wincing at the pain of my back. The woman steps closer, but Mari and I scramble to our feet and run. The pain in my back grows worse and worse, making me want to choke myself to stop the pain. What is wrong with my back today? I slow down, worsening the pain in my back. I try to go faster, but my spine feels like it twists and I trip, gripping at my back. I wince and try to get up, but the woman keeps me down.

"Don't move child, you'll strain yourself," she smiles.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF RIN!" Mari snarls, throwing her dangerous fox fire at the woman's head.

She dodges and I scramble up, only managing to slip on my feet and fall on my stomach. Such luck…I wince again and I start crawling to the trees. Mari lifts me onto her back, but the woman stops Mari with some spell. Mari's face is stuck in a furious expression and only her twitching eye has movement. I try to break out of Mari's frozen grasp, but her hands were pinned to their position. I feel blood in my mouth again and I spit out the blood onto the ground. My heart slowed, and the last thing I see in Lord Sesshomaru, of course, but his expression is sad. He's kneeling on the edge of a cliff I saw somewhere over here while I dozed in and out and he covers his eyes with his hand.

"Where are you Rin?" he mutters. I swear I hear sobbing in his voice. Impossible, he never cries, at least I don't remember him crying…

I cough, and he looks up. "Lord Sesshomaru…I'm in…in…"

I can't fight out the last word. Blood comes up and I cough it out, making more room for air. Lord Sesshomaru stands, wide eyed. "Where? Where, Rin, tell me!"

He can hear me? "The village of-"

My heat clenches.

_Sesshomaru_

My heart was surprisingly shattered when Rin's voice choked up and went. I fall down on my knees and my hands are the second support so my body doesn't completely fall down. I clutch the ground in anger and sorrow, something I never actually felt often. Maybe once for sorrow, but probably never more than that. Anger…well, there was Naraku, even as I say his name it sparks the anger inside. I guess Sorrow was that feeling that a cold-blooded demon only feels once. Why was I feeling it now? Was I growing weaker? Well, I certainly didn't take consideration for that monk or any other human except Rin. I didn't bother with Inuyasha's friend, Kagome or Sango, since that's a waste of my time.

What happened to Rin anyways? She didn't sound like she was having a pleasant time, heck, nor a time that didn't make mortals want to kill themselves. I look up, something cold running down from my eye. I wipe it away and think about what Rin said. At least I know she's in a village, that narrows it down from all the wilderness. I snatch out that mirror that woman gave me and I flick it once, to see what would happen. I saw a flicker of a young woman, the same age as the one I saw, with red hair and eyes. Her wear was the same basic thing except the colors were switched. She was holding something, and she was frozen.

"R-Rin…" she managed through gritted teeth.

The image faded, and I fell flat on the ground, my knees giving way. That was the Mari that woman talked about…and now I know she's with Rin. Both of them are in trouble, and I care more about Rin for some reason to just lie around and do nothing. I jump up and land in the village beneath the cliff, transforming and beginning to tears the houses apart.

_Mari_

"Y-You…" I manage.

"You're the one crushing her," the woman shrugs.

"IF I WASN'T FROZEN, I COULD RELEASE MY GRIP!" I shriek, breaking free of that spell. I loosen my hold on in, allowing her to spit out some caught blood, and patted her back. I ran past the woman, who made me freeze again. Rin tried to get out, probably to stop the woman, but she couldn't. "F*CK THIS!" I cry through my gritted teeth.

"Now, now," the woman taunts, "there's a child here."

"I'm a young lady, not a child!" Rin scolds. "Let us g-O!"

She hacks up blood harshly, her face growing paler. Rin is suffering, I can tell. I sigh and force my head to turn. "All right, what do you want?"

"To help you, of course," the woman smiles. "I'll give you a special tea that can cure anything, and all you need to do is grant me something I've wanted for a long time in return…"

I nod. Rin can't live through this illness, it'll kill her! "What do you want, first?"

"True, do it first and I'll be sure you keep you're half of the bargain. I want flesh from a man and a sunflower. Those are two critical ingredients to a demon I plan to rise."

I sigh. _For Rin…_ Rin shakes her head and hacks up more blood, almost choking on it this time. I nod and the woman comes to my side, unfreezing me. I leave Rin to her and Rin smiles.

"You don't…(***cough, cough***) have to do this…(***cough, cough***)."

"I am though," I sigh. "I won't kill the human, but I will get help from Akiko and Kota to solve this later, all right?"

She nods, passing out. The woman jerks her head to symbolize incoming men. Here goes nothing. I drag out a dagger, a blood tear leaking out. I charge and slash skin all the skin off the man's front upper arm. He screams and I head for the sunflower, even though I have no idea where those are. I have a feeling it's going to take a while, so I run faster, hoping I'd make it in time. I run into some small demon and look; it's that wild cat demon. Great, what could be better? I dash off, screaming all the way. I scour for sunflowers, but I can't find any. I sigh and run as fast as I can towards the next village, even though that's a while away. I grunt and keep running, reminding myself this is for Rin and Rin alone.

_Koga_

"IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE'S GONE!" Akiko scolds me.

"No, she's the one who caused this!" I point to the big gash Kagome was still patching up.

"Oh she was just messing around!" Kota snaps at me. "Don't you remember she has the Sacred Jewel for Demons? Or had…"

Akiko gasps. "KOTA!" Sango scolds.

"What? Mari could've dropped it while she was running, is all. She's too strong to die."

Akiko smiled at him. I roll my eyes, yet feel a tinge of guilt. I guess I should've reminded myself that Mari didn't really know how to communicate well with others, and she had a different sense of humor, Either that, or it was a joke gone wrong. That makes me feel worse. Kagome pats my back and smiles.

"It's not your fault, Koga," she comforts me. "Besides, she probably is trying to think of a way to make it up to you."

I smile. "I guess you could be right."

Inuyasha scoffs and stands. "She got lost, obviously. I've seen her get sentimental like that when Sango went off last week. She was only gone an hour. It's been six and a quarter."

Sango shrank. "She almost drowned Kirara…"

"Okay, we went over this!" Natasha, the fox demon father in the form of an actual fox, groans. "Kirara was allowing her to let the two in, but the water was deeper than Mari could expect! She never had the actual eyes, you know!"

Sango shrinks again and Miroku pats her back. Yoshihiro comes up and whimpers. "Why's all the food gone?"

I smirk. I answer in wolf: "Blame the mutt for that."

Kota stands and whispers something to Inuyasha. I hate it that when he's moody like this, he'll tell anyone about backstabbing. Inuyasha turns and growls. "Talking behind my back, huh?"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome shakes her head.

"Don't worry Kagome," I laugh. "I'll go easy."

Inuyasha lunges and we go at it. Kota hugs Akiko's shoulders and rests his cheek in her hair. "We'll find her alive, don't worry." Such a kiss-up.

_Sesshomaru_

The first village had nothing, not even her scent! I guess I attacked out of blind rage, but I only killed the ones who tried to harm me, saving them from the suffering of their stupidity. Rin hasn't been in the mirror, no matter how many times I flick it. I make sure I do either more or less than three, otherwise it'll go off and that woman will think I found them. I stare at the scorched ground beneath my feet and I twist a sunflower between my fingers. Rin always picked flowers, and this was similar to a few. I look at the sky; it's the night of the second day she's been gone.

_Rin_

I shake myself awake, looking around me. Mari's not back yet, and Lord Sesshomaru's notable to find me right now I guess…I miss him. I look out to see it's nearing mid night of the second day I've been separated. I stand up and exit, seeing I was still in that man village. I sneak out of the hut and run to the trees, coughing up blood. I keep seeing things, even though they're impossible. I see my brothers, but I can tell they're trees. I back up into a bush I imagine as my mother curled up in a terrified ball, and I don't want to see who my father ends up being. I cover my eyes and my ears ring, making everything a bit muffled.

"Rin?" I hear someone call me.

"Stay away!" I scream, not really knowing who it is. I run into a tree (smart) and fall backwards, blood leaking down my face from my nose. I groan. "SH*T! I'll never help…(***cough up blood***)…my health running into F*CK…(***cough***)…Ming trees."

Ah great, now I can't feel my tongue. That's just great today. I can barely see a thing, and a hand grips my shoulder. I turn to see that boy who said he liked me. I still consider him extremely creepy, so I push away.

"Hey! Where're you going?" he chases me.

"HOME!" I cry. Well, home is where your family is. "I want to see Lord Sesshomaru! Even Master-"

I bump into something. I look up to see Mari, panting and sweating. "I've…been…running…in…circles…haven't…I?"

I nod. "Most likely."

"Hey…do…you…hate…being…around…me?"

I shake my head. "I'd just prefer to be with Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken."

She widens her eyes. "Oh SH*T I just saw him a bit back."

I fall backwards. She helps me up and I grip her shoulders as she kneels down so I can scold her. "WHAT? YOU DIDN'T STOP HIM?"

"You kept saying Lord Sesshomaru, not any Master Jaken," she reminds me.

"Ugh…can I see that jewel real quick?"

"Why?"

"I think Lord Sesshomaru has a mirror for the jewel, so I want to see if I can find a way to tell him where we are."

She shrugs and holds up the flesh and sunflower. I feel the need to go flower-picking, something to give Lord Sesshomaru as an apology for making him delay in his travels; not like he'd have any particular use for them. Mari grips my wrist and leads me forward at my running pace, so I don't strain myself. The boy stalks us and we come to a stop in front of the woman. She accepts the ingredients and hands me a liquid of some sort. Mari beckons me to drink, so I do. I shut my eyes and I feel my spine stretch out, removing all the cranks. I smile and I open my eyes. Mari is gapping and clutching her head. The woman is mixing the ingredients.

"What?" I ask.

She holds up a mirror, so I look in. The person I see isn't the twelve-year-old Rin, but a black, long haired, brown eyed, pale skinned, and _seventeen-year-old_ Rin. I scream. How's Lord Sesshomaru going to recognize me now?

**A.N: You don't know how relieved I am to write that chapter! **


	4. Lost, Found, Then A Whole Bunch of Crazy

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Rin: Lost, Found, Then A Whole Bunch Of Crazy_

I rest my head in my hands. I'm ruined! I mean, SEVENTEEN? SEESHOMARU WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE ME! I MEAN HOLY SH*T! HOW'D I GET SO SCREWED?

"F*CK, F*CK, F*CK…" I mutter, pacing.

That vile woman examines her little ingredients and starts pounding them. Mari hugs her knees and her kimono ruffles a bit to show her jewel in her sleeve. I sigh. I can't let this woman create some demon to steal it. I tackle the woman and snatch the bowl with the contents. I rush out of the hut, Mari hot on my heels. My heart is pounding, and I can't get a good grip on what's going on. The woman chases us and Mari grabs two horses. She helps me onto one and we ride off in a sprint. The woman curses at us and stomps back into her hut, leaving me uneasy. I feel something kick the surface of my heart, making me grip the section above the heart and slip off my heart, smashing my upper back and thumping my heart hard against the ground. I feel some warm blood trickle down the back and I can't hold it any longer; I scream.

_Sesshomaru_

I hurl the mirror against some oak, but it fails to shatter. It hasn't given me a single thing, and I WON'T believe that the jewel shattered already. I clutch my fists tight and Jaken dodges behind a tree. I know my eyes are red and I hear myself snarling.

"This isn't going to help your little brat," someone mocks.

I turn around, seeing a red headed, green eyed woman. I identify her as a ghost demon, seeing that her legs are just tails of mist. She crosses her arms and I can see a fox demon tail. Great.

"Who are you?" I demand.

"The mother of the Sacred Jewel makers," she smiles. "I know some things that'd surprise you, trust me, so watch the tone."

"What things?" I demand, growing irritated.

"Tone," she reminds me.

I growl, not in the mood for this woman's games. "Look, if you've just came here to annoy me, you've fulfilled your purpose. Now leave my presence before I change my mind about sparing you."

"I'm a ghost," she laughs. "You can't kill me!"

"Want to bet?" I grip the hilt of my healing sword.

She widens her eyes and vanishes. What did she mean by 'know some things that'd surprise you'? Was that just to keep me talking? Jaken peeks out from the tree, and I hear a scream. I charge for the scream, since it's Rin's.

_Rin_

"Stop squirming!" the monk orders.

"GET OFF ME!" I shout, trying to break out of his grasp. It hurts very much.

"I'm trying to get you back to the village!" he sighs, fighting back.

Mari is hiding in a tree, since her mother was killed by a demon priestess. I can't blame her. I squirm and kick, hoping he'd give up some time. I shriek at the top of my lungs and start sounding like my old twelve-year-old self again…I'm glad.

"LET GO!" I start hacking up blood again, leaving my throat very sore.

A flash of light comes along, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I force myself out of the monk's grip and fling myself to the ground, noticing the light was thin and green. I widen my eyes and eye the tree tops, searching for Mari. The rest of my body remains absolutely still, so I don't get caught in the light's fire. What's going on here? I shift a bit, and that monk grabs my ankle. I kick it off, careful not to hurt him, and scramble to my feet. I rush to the tree, or try to, and the light slams down [ ] that much in front of me. I glance over my shoulder and see a small boy, white hair and the same markings as Lord Sesshomaru. I gasp and turn.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" I blink.

The boy nods and walks away. "I'm busy."

"Wait…LORD SESSHOMARU!"

The boy walks off, and I fall to my knees, dumbstruck. What was that? I know Lord Sesshomaru's not a child, and that Mari is not in this tree. I sigh and smack my head on the bark hard, punishing myself for stupidity. Mari taps my shoulder and we start running.

"Are we lost and never to be found?" I question.

Mari shakes her head. "There's hope. Trust me."

I sigh and keep running. Something explodes in front of us and I'm thrown back. I smack a tree hard with my head. My head feels like it's splitting and I scream. My arm is slashed and the bruises on my face are cured, but the pain of them lurks under my skin. I can't see anything straight, and I can't get why I have eight fingers on one hand, not five…oh, stupid vision. It always has to be screwed with some way, doesn't it? I clutch the hilt of the sword I stole and slash it forward, only missing as they jumped. What was wrong with this place? Something slashes my back and I wince, holding in the screams again. Mari's unconscious and I refuse to look up. I can't show them my expression, or it'll be a weakness. I charge again and hope for better results. I slash higher, but they duck, so I dodge sideways. I don't know if I'm going insane again, but I swear I just saw a white hair…oh man!

Something lurches in me and I clutch my stomach. I shake in weakness and bring the sword to a clattering on the ground. I shiver in the cold touch of something on the back of my neck. I jump up and run in some random direction. Someone's chasing me, and I can't face to look at who is. I get cut up by multiple branches and nearly trip here and there. I snatch out something I had found earlier that day I was separated: an amethyst necklace.

_(Flashback)_

It was bright out, and there weren't many flowers in the area. I decided to save them for other children near the area and decided to explore. I found quite a few things, one being a rather P*SSED squirrel when I disturbed it. I jumped back and decided maybe climbing would be better. I did climb, and enjoyed the view. The lilies were red, white, and yellow, a nice combination of colors. I smiled and looked down, realizing it was father down than I had thought. I gripped the trunk and tried to go down steadily, but the bark I clutched on was loose and hated me. It peeled right off and I fell smack on my back on something hard. Now that I think about it, that's probably why my back hurts in the first place. I shake my head and find a nasty scrap on my elbow. I sigh and sit up, looking down at where I had landed. There was a thick black thread with a little purple crystal (amethyst) dog hanging on it. I picked it up and cocked my head, and I released a groan. That fall was _harder _than I thought. I heard the bushes rustle, so I turned. Something peeped it's head out, what I thought was a lizard demon, but it came out farther so I could see it was a snake demon. I gulped and backed away slowly, but the trees hated me that day; I stepped on a fallen branch and it snapped. The snake snapped his head towards me, and I gulped. _Don't scream…don't scream…_

"Hmm…I do feel a bit hungry," the snake laughed.

I stiffened and started running, forgetting entirely everything about locations. I squished my eyes tight, running into a tree (I didn't have good luck with those that day, now did I?). I rapidly peeled myself off and the snake grabbed the back of my kimono. I had flinched and kicked it square in the face. It dropped me to the ground, and I heard something snap. Not my neck, since I'm alive now, and not any of my body parts. It was the tree next to me, which collapsed clear on it's head. My back was sore, and I had a slight bruise on the left of my face for running into that tree. Master Jaken came out and sighed.

"Can you avoid demons for one day?" he sighs.

"That would mean that I'd have to avoid you and Lord Sesshomaru," I point out.

"Exactly the point," he mutters.

I feel a bit hurt, but I stand and brush off the dirt on my kimono. I hear something whacking Jaken on the back of the head and I look up. It's Lord Sesshomaru, obviously angered by something. He stiffens and looks at me blankly.

"Come on, Rin," he states, turning around and walking away.

I smile and follow happily.

_(End of Flash back)_

So that'd explain why he didn't wake up! Oh…that Jaken…I can't believe it! I sigh and come to a gradual stop, receiving a tackle from some demon hiding in the bushes. I kick at it and it just laughs.

"You'll make a fine bride," he laughs.

"Oh, gross!" I exclaim. "Why do all you demons go for the young girls? I mean, not two days ago more that I was pursued by some snake demon!"

The demon (boar, I guess) laughs and jumps up onto the branches for quick travel. I look down and see the staff of two heads.

"RIN!" I hear Jaken call.

I'm too mad at him now, so I sigh and let a tear escape. He was the real reason I was in this, the real reason I couldn't see Lord Sesshomaru. The boar laughs and keeps going. I grab my hilt, filled with hate and rage. I slash the side and he lets me go with a shrill roar. I collapse on the hard ground and think to myself for a minute. How did Jaken recognize me? I rush up and slash behind me. The boar roars and smacks me across the face, sending me flying backward. I don't know how that works really why, but all I can tell is that my nose is bleeding. I fall into a creek and something underwater grabs me. I try to swim for the surface, but the thing pulls me to a wall and into some cave. They drag me up and I turn to see it's Mari. Now she decides to wake up? We surface and I sputter a bit. We're in an underwater cave, and there's a hole that leads up.

"Come…on…" Mari pants, walking forward.

I follow, and I find myself in a well. Mari stomps the ground hard and the exit to the cave shut with a fake layer of dirt. She jumps on it once to make sure it'll stand and looks up. I look up as well, but the multiple cuts can't take the light. I fall on the ground and begin to fade.

_Mari_

The Diving Creek was marvelous for the swim, but I don't really think it's nap time yet. I sling Rin over my shoulder and climb up the stones half-way before something in my leg snaps. I fall down two or three stones and clutch onto the third or fourth one I fall down to. I wince and let out a hiss from under my breath. I'm a demon, do I have to go through this? I continue up and jump up for an extra boost. I grip the edge and someone stomps it hard. I flinch and I look up to that boar that was chasing Rin.

"Give me back my wife," he threatened.

"Go F*CK yourself," I spit, jumping up and kicking him square in the forehead.

I run away, but end up running into another demon. His scent is close to Inuyasha's, but more demonic aura. I look up, not breathing. He's white haired, yellow eyed, like Inuyasha, except this man is taller and seems about two years older. I blink and I step out of his way, wondering why something was gnawing at my gut. He walked forward and with one slash of his sword, the demon evaporates. I gulp and start to back away, but a blast of fire misses me about [ ] that much. I widen my eyes and stiffen, releasing a low whimper. A small demon walks in front of me and points at Rin.

"See? That's her!" the little demon cries at the man.

I gulp, wondering if this was 'Lord Sesshomaru'. He turns to me and I see his death glare, or something like it. I whimper softly and start running, too scared to confront a death glare. He ends up in front of me and grabs my throat, forcing me up. I grab his hand and try to pry it off, but I notice something; he only had one hand.

"Hey…" I snarl through gritted teeth. "What the heck…do you think you're doing?"

"Give me the girl," he orders.

Yep, not something I usually like to hear. I sigh and form the deadly fire ball, hurling it in his face. He growls and drops me by accident, since my fire had that sort of affect on people. I dodge the small demon's staff and land on the brim of the well. I smirk as the man manages to get all the fire to die out and glares at me. I jump up and start hopping on the branches as he chases me with that sword of his. He snarls, but something in me tells me to run. Why?

_Rin_

I shake my head and gasp as I see I'm on Mari's shoulder and she's jumping branches at full speed. I look up and see Lord Sesshomaru chasing her. Why, though, does he recognize me?

"Mari," I stress, "why are you running?"

"Look…who do you think…attacked first…huh?" Mari pants, still jumping the branches.

"I don't know! I was out for a bit!" I argue.

"Then it was that little green dwarf."

A blast of fire shoots up, but she dodges. I see Jaken, waving his fist angrily. Why does he care? He's the reason I'm here!

"I hope Master Jaken got his wish," I mutter bitterly.

"What would that be?" Mari asks, trying to be helpful a bit.

"Me gone, what else?" I answer, knowing she carries good intentions. "Look…why don't we stop and sort this out?"

"Yeah…I don't think he'll want to listen to you, since you look nothing like the young lady you were before that hag morphed you. Plus, I shoved fire in his face, so I doubt-"

"What? Do you do that with everyone you meet?" I snap. "What did he do?"

"Easy, order me to give you to him. Do you really think I knew what Lord Seshomaru looked like? Huh?"

"I guess not," I think about it.

"See? Now, let's get you back to your normal self first."

A green lash whips straight across Mari's back, missing me about [ ] that much (it's always actual size, okay?). I cover my head and Mari falls, dropping me and I roll into a tree. I shake my head and I look in that bowl I stored to see something forming. I drop it and I back away, wide eyed. I drag out my sword and slash it in two, but I just gave Jaken something to use as how I'm not Rin.

"Uh…Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken wonders. "I don't think this is Rin; she has a sword, and Rin never carried a sword."

"She could've picked it up, Jaken," Sesshomaru glares.

Jaken yelps and dives behind a tree. I glance down at my sword and slide it back in the seethe, trying to add up everything. Was this really Sesshomaru, or was it like that time I kept hallucinating my family? I stare at Mari, who's unconscious on the ground. I blink and look down, trying to prod myself up to stand.

"Stupid gray hand, stupid Jaken," a voice inside me mutters. "Stupid Sesshomaru for leaving me there alone with a dwarfish demon!"

"He's not stupid," I whisper under my breath, "he's just busy."

I'm thankful only I heard that. I wobble onto my feet and Lord Sesshomaru takes a step closer. I hear something above me and look; it's that boy who claimed me. Oh brother.

"Hey, demon!" he screams. "Stay away from my betrothed!"

I gag. BETROTHED? "W-w-w-what? Okay, first of all, you just claimed me, I said nothing, and I've only seen you TWICE! HOW DOES THAT ADD UP TO A SINGLE THING?"

He didn't answer. Sesshomaru glared at him and I could tell he was ready to use the lash. I look behind me and the boy's father comes on a horse and grabs me by the kimono, making me reach for my sword, but it slides out of the seethe. He rides away, Mari dragged off by another, and Sesshomaru chasing us.

"RIN!" he calls.

He reaches out a hand and I reach out for it, but he grows wide eyed and still. As we go farther, I see a demon hand plunged through his body.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" I cry.

We ride off, and Mari and I are lost again.

**A.N: I saved the story with that ending, yay! Now…I was thinking the next chapter to be when she gets more involved with the boy and the headman, and then Mari discovers how to change her back, but you'll see. Anyways, review, and Mari will leave you something for Halloween, K? **


	5. Controlled and Lost

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Sesshomaru: Controlled and Lost_

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" That cry keeps replaying in my head. She was so terrified looking…now she's out of sight, stuck in mind. The demon hand that delayed me is still pierced through, so I grab the back of the demon and yank him off, dragging him so we're eye to eye. It's just a fox, with a nasty expression. This has to be that fox demons father.

"What do you want?" I ask, grinding my teeth.

"An explanation for my unconscious daughter," he snarls.

"FATHER!" I hear the woman who gave me the mirror call.

"NATASHA!" I hear Inuyasha laugh. Why's he with the foxes?

"Be nice," another male voice groans. "Old fox lost one of his daughters."

"Old?" the woman growls.

"He's a demon, remember that," the male taunts with a tone as if speaking to a child.

The woman comes out and she recognizes me. "Oh, it's you! Any luck?"

"Well…" I glare at her father. "If you're father didn't delay me…"

She turns to him. "Mari unconscious?"

"Yes," 'Natasha' replies.

She turns to me. "That girl was being captured?" I nod and she turns back to her father. "Are you stupid enough to forget Mari scares easily?"

Natasha growls and scratches at me. I release him, dodging, and he tries to charge again, but a wolf demon wearing brown fur holds him back with one hand. Why do I feel like I've seen him before?

"Ay, this isn't going to get Mari back," he reminds the fox.

"Ugh…Koga, I got this," Natasha groans.

A wolf demon with black fur comes out from the trees, Inuyasha's human friends coming out from behind him. "Koga, I suggest you get a rope around his neck, that's about his only weakness."

The woman glares at him. "Well, you had to say that!"

I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "May I ask why you're here?"

"Easy, we're looking for Mari!" that little fox demon boy pipes up. "She's the one you knocked out!"

"Lord Sesshomaru did that out of self respect!" Jaken words unwisely. "You don't know what that pesky bother did!"

The woman grabs him by the wood of the staff he refuses to let go. "That's my sister you speak of, dwarf."

Jaken grows red. "I'M NOT A DWARF!"

"Jaken," I snap, "don't get on her bad side. She could be as ruthless as her twin."

The woman smirks and drops Jaken. "So you remember?"

"Yes, and I've seen that the girl with her has changed in more ways than one," I inform, knowing that if I can get Rin, it wouldn't be bothersome MUCH if I help this demon out to get her out of my life. "Your twin mentioned something about a hag, if I recall…"

She looks down and bites her lip. She shakes her head after a few seconds. "Only one I can think of is a demon named Ira."

I look back to the direction Rin disappeared off to. The way she screamed my name when I was injured…it makes me feel weird inside. I can tell these are not demon emotions, but might as well not fight otherwise I'm going to screw myself up. Besides, I'm NOT growing weaker, I can guarantee you that.

"Akiko…" Kagome fades.

"What? It's the only solution," 'Akiko' sighs.

The humans look down while Inuyasha just scoffs. "Ira was small fry-"

"That ate Kagome?" the demon slayer snaps.

I keep staring off to where Rin disappeared. I just hope she's alright….

_Rin_

I keep kicking, screams sticking in my throat. Mari tries to fling her fire at their faces, but they restrain her arms. The boy rides next to the headmaster's horse, smiling at me. I groan and grab for my sword. I need to help Lord Sesshomaru!

"Rin," Mari sighs, "just give up. We lost!"

The jewel she carries shimmers darker. "No, we didn't!" I argue. "If we lost, we'd be dead!"

"You will be if you don't cooperate!" the headmaster shouts.

"Father!" the boy whines.

I note he's fourteen, the regular length brown hair and brown eyes, like always. His wear is the usual wear of an important person and his smile is warm, yet it's frigid in my eyes. He waves and I kick rapidly.

"LET GO!"

The headmaster draws his sword and pits it at my face. "Continue if you truly dare!"

"Father!" the boy groans. "Do you want an heir?"

The headmaster grunts and seethes the sword. I glance at Mari and look at the jewel. She tosses it to me and winks. I guess she wants for demons to come after me and attack the headman. I nod and clutch the jewel firmly. It glistens bright pink, making Mari gasp. The headman turns and drops me, I guess by accident.

"Give that to me," he orders.

"Over my dead body!" I shout.

I run in the direction where we came and Mari breaks free, rushing as well. She gets me on her back and we sprint off, the horse chasing us like mad.

"GET BACK HERE!" he screams.

"HOLY SH*T, WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Mari cries blood.

I pat the back of her head and she grows faster. She slams into something and I'm flung off, wincing at the pain in my back. It's back again. I clutch the necklace firmly and try to grab at tree branches and get cut a few times, but I still wince, no matter how little they are. I slam hard into a tree and I hear the bushes rustle. I try to get up from the ground my stomach is flat on, but I'm too damaged. I look up into the bushes and a green haired, green eyed young woman Mari's age pops out. She gasps.

"Where's Mari?" she demands.

"W-what…?" I groan.

"Where's my sister?" she asks again.

I groan and try to point Mari's direction out, but something in my arm cracks and I scream.

"Oh my…" the woman sighs. "Sesshomaru! Inuyasha! Somebody!"

"S-Sesshomaru…" I smile.

The woman looks back at me and tilts her head. "You must be that little girl Sesshomaru's looking for. I'm Akiko, Mari's twin. Where've you two been?"

I wobble while standing. My elbow sways freely, disconnected. I smile at her and look where I came from. She looks that way and we see Mari running. She's screaming something, but even I can't understand her.

"RUN, RUN, OH SO VERY-oh hello, Akiko!"

"YOU WERE FOCUSED ON RUNNING!" Akiko reminds, making sure she heard.

An arrow pierces her knee and she falls. I hear far rustling, making me jump and my elbow does a violent jerk. I gasp and grip it, wincing. Mari starts crawling and the horse stomps hard on her shoulder, making a thunderous CRACK! I run over, not caring for the elbow, and kneel down next to her, helping her out from under the horse. The horse jerks and stands on two legs, planning to hit me. I slash my sword across it's belly and it grows wide eyed. Akiko helps me with Mari and Mari shakes her head furiously, not appreciating the help.

"Please, just go on ahead," she pants. "I deserve this anyways."

Akiko pats the side not broken and gets her on her back. I grip the jewel and run by her side, which we are both at human speed. The headman chases us, but I hear another thing approaching. I turn and a demon pops out, grabbing me by the kimono and lifting me up, making me feel light headed due to the height.

"LET GO!" I shriek, wriggling.

He growls and smirks, dropping me on purpose. "Oops."

I scream as I fall, because who wouldn't from a distance such as this? I shut my mouth and search for any safe areas or ways to soften the fall. I take the seethe and place it on my stomach, clutching it tight. I'd at least die with a weapon to hold, that's it. I close my eyes and await the Netherworld, but it never comes. I refuse to open my eyes, but I know someone's holding me. I clutch the sword tighter and, out of pressure, think of a name for it. 'Black Rose'? I don't know.

Someone cups my cheek and I feel something spark in myself. Who was this? It better not be that boy, nor any human. I feel tempted to open my eyes to see who it is, but I can't bring myself to it. I still think of names for the sword, since I'd rather not open my eyes, and I can't think of anything. 'Savior' comes to mind, but it wasn't the one who saved me from my fall. 'Grace'? Ugh, names are harder than I thought. 'Kana', now that's it… 'Powerful'.

I grip the sword tighter, and I wince. I'm placed on the ground and someone puts their hand above my own. I want to open my eyes, but I guess I'm too tired. Comatose, always omnipresent within me. I feel water drop onto my face, making me feel guilty. I really want to get up now. I try to force my eyes open, but I can't. I clutch my sword tighter and tighter. I try to scream or SOMETHING! I JUST CAN'T!

"Don't strain yourself," I hear someone advise.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru?" a voice mocks inside me on what I would say.

I scream inside. WHY CAN'T I WAKE UP? I hear slashing, and I feel someone yank me up. Kana slips out of my hand, which wakes me up. I flash my eyes open and yank out of whoever has me in their grasp. I land on my feet next to Kana and grab it quickly. Someone grabs my wrist, startling me. I jump, and that nearly gets my head lopped off by the one who made me drop Kana. Someone rushes me behind their back and I recognize the ends of seethes I see. This is Lord Sesshomaru. I grip Kana and look at the near captor. It's that stupid monk!

"First the young girl, now her?" the monk snarls.

"Stay out of this," Lord Sesshomaru growls.

The monk faces me. "Come on, young one," he offers a hand. "You know there's a tear between mortals and demons."

I grip my elbow and look down with a confused stare at the ground. What was happening? This has to be some dream…because Lord Sesshomaru was harmed…he couldn't possibly heal that fast or end the battle that quickly. The monk gasps and raises his staff. Lord Sesshomaru chuckles, making me take a step back.

"Took you this long to figure it out?"

He turns around so quick; he slashes my left cheek clean open. The bone reveals itself and Lord Sesshomaru isn't himself anymore, but a blue eyed, brown haired demon.

"Rise, Ira, take this human for a body."

I pass out.

000M+R000

I flutter my eyes open and Mari is standing in front of me, biting her lip. My elbow's disconnected, and Kana is by my side. I'm lying against a wall of some hut, and I'm seventeen still. I look up at her and cock my head to the side.

"Uh…what happened?" I wonder.

"Don't you remember the samurai took us away from your Lord Sesshomaru?" she sits down in front of me. "The father broke your elbow to shut you up, since you kept talking to yourself."

I blink. That was a crazy dream. I stand up, gripping my elbow along with Kana, and stroll out of the hut. I look at about three women including us, hard-working men and boys, and friendly expressions towards us. It's night, the third night I'm missing. I sigh and trudge out of the hut, gloomy. Mari trudges by me, feeling my sorrow.

"Is Kota a good friend?" I wonder.

She smiles, knowing I want to bring up something that makes her happy. "Yep. One time, I was yelled at by the other wolf demon, but he just said 'Good work' and gave me two fish! They were good…"

I giggle, making her laugh and hug my shoulders. A few samurai come up and we stop, smiling.

"Come with us," they command.

Mari ducks behind me and shivers. I follow them and she clings to my wrist, worried out of her mind. We follow them to a building, men and very few women cluttered in. The women are dancing and frowning while the men are drunk and laughing, beckoning the women to follow them to some empty room. I gulp and Mari whimpers like crazy. The samurai push us in front of the headman and his son, the headman licking his lips again. I feel a shiver shoot down my spine and I clutch the hit of Kana, alarming the samurai. They direct their blades at us and I glare at them from the corner of my eye. I grip Kana, but show no signs of taking her out of the seethe. The headman chuckles and waves to the dancers.

"Go join them, they find it fun," he smiles.

"Would they be the drunk men or the sorrowful women?" Mari snaps.

I hold up a hand to tell her to settle down. I release my grip on Kana and walk over with Mari clutching my wrist. We sigh and start to dance, knowing it was the only way to survive in this world spoiled with the cruelties of man.

000M+R000

This dance ends, and it's been nine hours. My legs are exhausted and Mari carries me on her back to the creek and falls in. I sputter and shoot up, awake and alive now. We crawl onto a rock and hug our knees, worried about how to get back to our groups.

"Scream," Mari shrugs. "Always worked for Akiko."

"No, otherwise the villagers will think something bad is happening. Then they'll start rumors, hire that monk, you know, the usual."

"Then do you have any other ideas?"

"Stay here, endure the suffering, and WAIT FOR THEM!"

"What if one of us gets a baby?" Mari cocks her head to the side. "What will we do then?"

I freeze. "We?"

"Yeah 'we'. We're in this together, aren't we?"

I nod. "I just thought you stayed because you wanted to get some laughs."

Mari smiles and hugs my shoulders. "You're my…forth human friend. That's rare for a demon like me, especially since this is my second month of actual life. I just…" She releases her knees and lays them out straight, leaning back and pressing her palms down behind her to support herself. She blows a lock of crimson hair out of her face and sighs. "I'm twenty-one, even though I look sixteen. Whenever Akiko got that hopeless feeling…that negative feeling, any at all, I'd come out and go crazy. I hated everything. I wanted the love Kota has for Akiko, I wanted the attention, to be noticed for once! I didn't want to be shut up and alone…Akiko's soul never crossed paths with mine, which angered me. Half of that jewel came out of my heart, half from hers. My half was the darkness that should be avoided, I guess, but I felt worthless, not loved. My ma died right before my eyes, and Akiko and I couldn't do a thing… Pa go remarried, had a half-demon with some woman I haven't seen in years now…he died out of illness years ago."

I hug my knees tighter. "While we're talking about our histories…When I was little, bandits invaded our village. My ma, pa, and brothers were brutally murdered and I was lucky to escape with my life. I came across another human village, although I didn't speak or show signs of pain. One day, not more than a year ago, I was wandering through the trees. That's when I discovered Lord Sesshomaru…he was lying against a tree, injured is what I guessed. I tried to help him, I honestly did…then, outside my hut near the river, a man appeared and demanded something I can't quite remember…wolves came, along with a wolf demon."

Mari widens her eyes. "Brown fur, black hair, blue eyes, tan skin?"

"Yep."

She sighs. "That'd be Koga, the other wolf demon I was talking about!"

I jump. "Wait…he's part of your group?"

"He doesn't attack humans, but I guess that's just for Ka-go-me!"

I stare at her, amused. "Why did you sound out the name?"

"It's fun! R-I-N, Rin!" She claps her hands together and bounces a bit, obviously loving young life. "You try!"

"SES-SHO-MA-RU, Sesshomaru. Huh, it is kinda fun."

"See? Ko-ta, Kota!"

"Jake-n, Jaken."

"Ak-ik-o, Akiko!"

"A-Un, huh, A-Un!"

"Hey, that's his name! Who…ever he is…"

"He's Lord Sesshomaru's-"

"HEY!" someone calls.

We look behind ourselves and see the samurai, pointing blades. "You're supposed to be at the headman's home."

"We were just tired," Mari whimpers.

I know she wants to kill them, make them pay for all the wrong they do to women, but we can't. They say there's a tear between mortal and demon, I say I'm helping Mari if it costs me my life.

"Okay, let's go," I sigh.

Mari and I hop down and a sudden burst of light nearly blinds me. Mari shakes me, managing to bump my elbow. I wince and Kana slips out of the seethe, falling onto the grass. I grab it quick and puncture the first samurai. The second and third are busy, and I squint to see Lord Sesshomaru, furious to the core. I seethe Kana and grab Mari. We run down the creek and hop to the other side, where Jaken awaits us.

"RIN!" he cries in 'delight'. "YOU'RE ALIVE!"

I cross my arms and scowl, making him confuse. "Don't think I forgot what you said," I snap. "You're the reason I'm here!"

He freezes. "Uh, Rin…"

"You didn't wake up, I was being attacked by something, you didn't wake up!"

He sighs. "I'm a heavy sleeper?"

"That's bull," I spit.

"Rin," Mari crosses her arms. "Please don't."

"Alright!" I raise my unbroken arm in the air mid-way, symbolizing defeat.

I turn back to look at Lord Sesshomaru, still fighting. Mari snaps her head towards a bush and presses her finger to her lips. I nod and she creeps over to the spot. She drags out her sword and slices it through the leaves, drawing out a huge number of demons. Jaken jumps and yelps, arming himself with the staff. I drag out Kana and wince as my left broken elbow protests to body movement. The demon slams Mari into a tree, causing a thunderous CRACK from her back. The demon faces me and charges, so I slash my sword and manage to slice it's eye open. War sounds all around me, making my eye twitch with pain and frustration. The demon goes for Jaken and nearly gets him, if Jaken didn't use the staff of two heads. I try to go forward, but I grip my left arm as it keeps up the protest. I grit my teeth and shut my eyes, just wanting pain to stop. I want to feel cold, want to be…where are these thoughts coming from? Why am I like this all of a sudden? I'm pushed back and slam into a tree, my neck nearly snapping. I grip Kana and slash at the demon, making it jerk back. The other demons surround us and watch, laughing. I collapse and my head thumps as hard as my heart is. A female laughter echoes in my ears, making me want to scream.

"You'll do," it says.

I squish my eyes shut, no noise is around me accept the beating of my heart. It progressively slows, coldness spreads throughout my body. My heart clenches and the demons all charge at me.

"RIN!" Mari screams. I note she's on the ground, where her voice comes from.

I shoot my eyes open and swing Kana, managing to exterminate a few. I slash demons with the blade and whack them with the hilt, refusing to go down yet. I will not succumb to this negative feeling! My nails turn to claws for some reason, and my teeth sharpen themselves to fangs. I jump up and retch myself out of the demon cage, startling Mari for some odd reason. Jaken yelps and I fend off the demons with what feels like demonic aura suffocating me. They charge, I hiss and strike. That female keeps laughing, and I feel so much hate. The jewel sparkles black, and I understand why they're after me; the jewel. I start running, picking up Mari so they wouldn't capture the maker. She slashes a few and winks at me. I nod and leap onto the branches, sprinting farther and farther. I grit my teeth hard and I turn, leaping backward once and slashing a powerful wave of demonic aura at the demons. They writhe in pain, and the woman laughs with glee.

"Yes, yes! Kill them all, make them suffer!"

I loose my footing and Mari leaps off, catching me by the kimono. She grunts with pain and drops to her knees, clutching at her back. I can tell she's in pain, like the other demons. I stand and the fangs grow sharper, like they want me to tear apart the demons with them. I grip the hilt of Kana and the demons fling at me, growling, snarling, and roaring.

"I…I'm human…you can't control me…" I argue with the voice. "I'm my own person…I CAN DO THIS WITHOUT SOME VOICE RINGING IN MY HEAD!"

I slash Kana again and only one demon goes. The rest puncture their fangs into my skin and I wince, holding back the screams. Blood spurts out and my lungs are starting to suffocate under the demonic aura that surrounds me. My vision grows darker, like the time I hit my head too many times against those trees. I grip Kana in my hand and the fangs sharpen. All goes black.

I can't see anything. I can't control anything. I can't breathe anymore.

_Mari_

Rin attacks them by fangs and claws, acting more demon than human. I know something's controlling her, since why else would a human be demonic like that? Her eyes are crimson, and she kills without a sound escaping her throat. I stand and slash at demons, hoping to help her as much as I can. My back protests, but I can't stop it. I have to deal with this. That Lord Sesshomaru isn't here across the Dividing Creek, and that dwarf ran off to somewhere. Rin snarls once and finishes off yet another demon mercilessly. I gap at her sudden darkness and the jewel is near pitch-black. Why is it still pink by a bit? She's ruthless! I guess there's courage still inside her.

_Rin_

I'm still submerged in darkness. I fight to get my heart started, but I just can't; the demon has taken control. I scream inside, only hearing a snarl. What's happening? I clutch my head inside myself and grit my teeth, although it feels like I'm biting on a bone. I jerk my head back and scream, the pain in my head too great. Pictures flicker through my mind; Jaken and I, Lord Sesshomaru when he fought that group of monks to release me, Mari and I sitting on the opposite sides of that path…I scream, wanting to see their faces again. This is agony! I hear that woman chuckling and she appears, a bob of black hair and pale skin. In her hands, I see a red skull.

"You're perfect for my first warrior," she smirks.

I date back to what that woman said about resurrecting a demon…I have the ingredients, and they're wet and mashed. I fling my eyes open and I'm covered with blood, demon blood. I snatch the flesh and sunflower out and throw it into a bush, gasping as my left arm sways freely. I feel the fangs dull back to teeth and the claws shoot back into my body. I sway and fall to my knees, then fall flat on the ground.

"RIN!" Mari screams, running over.

Any remaining demons run, hissing and some yelping in pain. My eyes are wide open and filled with tears of confusion. What's wrong with me? Can't I control my own self? This is ridiculous, to be controlled like that. Mari glances at the bush I threw the ingredients in and stares at me, cocking her head to the side.

"I…I…I…I didn't…I didn't want to…I didn't…" I mutter insanely.

She tries to stand me up, but I won't cooperate. I'm soiled in blood, and I'm frightened at what might happen if I go all out demon again…I might hurt Mari that time.

"I…I…I didn't…I didn't…"

"Rin?" I hear someone call.

I can't get up. Not that I want to anyways. Mari stands and walks towards the voice while I'm facing the opposite way. I want to feel cold, not warm with the touch of demon blood soaking me.

"I…I…I…I…I didn't…I didn't want that…I didn't…I didn't…I…"

Someone rests a hand on my right shoulder reminding me that my elbow is limp in front of my torso. I dare not to wince, since I deserve the pain…I deserve to be punished for falling for that woman's tricks.

"Rin…" I hear the voice whisper.

Something shoots out from afar and the hand lifts up. I'm jerked up and I wince. Something is wrapped around my arms and legs, and it flings me up. I see Lord Sesshomaru, clutching at his throat.

"No!" he shouts, wide eyed.

The thing wraps around my waist and pulls me hard against the ground. That woman I saw is in a tree, hr fingers spread with something wrapped around each.

"Hello, Rin," she smirks. "How are you?"

"You B*TCH," I mutter.

She laughs and shakes her head, flinging me up again and pinning my arms to my sides, making me wince due to the elbow.

"Aw…does somebody have a broken elbow? I completely forgot!" she mocks.

"You…" I shake with anger.

She slams me down hard and I scream; my elbow is hanging by half of my skin. She cackles and I try to grip Kana. The thing snatches Kana out of the seethe and I snarl. I try to rustle my way out, but the thing keeps cutting deep into my skin.

"Don't you remember me?" the woman taunts. "Remember the deal you made?"

"I made no deal!" I snap.

She shakes her head and flings me up, this time slamming me on my elbow. Now it's hanging by a quarter of skin. I scream in pain. "Don't lie, it's not a good thing for women to lie."

"I DIDN'T MAKE A DEAL, YOU B*TCH!"

She flings me up again and the arm tries to peel off. I can see where she's going with this. She slams me down and I twist so I land on my right. A cut is deep in my flesh, but I don't mind. I don't need to loose my left forearm. She pouts and does it again, Kana slump against her side. I remember the red skull and shut my eyes. Did she put that in me? I'm flung down and I twist so I land on my head, managing to make her wince. I grit my teeth to prevent from screaming and she massages her head a bit. It's working.

"Liar," she states.

"If you want a liar, go look in a mirror," I snap.

"Rin," Mari warns, "shut up."

"Would you know her?" I snap.

"Rumors is all," she admits. "Inuyasha said he defeated this abusive hore."

The woman snarls and flings me up and forces me to land on my elbow, although I make sure I change it to the right, so I have both forearms. Lord Sesshomaru still has his hands at his throat, but he's snarling at the woman. I hear a slash somewhere and an arrow lands next to the woman's head. As she's distracted, I fight out of the thing and it just wraps around my throat. I slip my hand under it and push it off, launching for Kana. The thing holds me back, but I manage to grip the end of the blade. As much as it hurts, I slam it against her skull and she's stunned, releasing all of her hair/thread (I'm guessing). Lord Sesshomaru leaps up and draws his sword, but more wrap around his limbs and he winces as it cuts deep into his neck.

"Don't break your deal, Rin, or he dies," the woman threatens.

I grip the hilt and point the lade at her. The hair tightens around Lord Sesshomaru, making him wince again, and I shut my eyes. I can't let him die…I seethe Kana and drop onto the ground, her wrapping the hair around my waist. Someone runs here and she captures them. She pulls her in front of her and I see Kagome, one of Sesshomaru's half-brother, Inuyasha's friends. She winces and I see she's missing an arrow. Mari gasps.

"Ka-go-me?" Mari whimpers.

"I'll be fine," Kagome ensures.

"You will be if Rin abides to her deal," the woman informs.

"What deal, Ira?" Kagome snaps.

Ira…so that's her name. Haven't I heard that somewhere before? "Why, the reason she's here."

I glance up at Lord Sesshomaru and he's looking down at me, his teeth in a grit, him wincing at the possible pain, and the confused look in his eyes. The eyes beg for me to tell him what's going on, but I didn't make the deal. I didn't want the deal. I glance at Mari and something wraps around her knees, waist, and elbows. We're flung up and Ira smirks.

"Make blood pour in the village I send you. If you don't'…"

Ira tightens her hair around Lord Sesshomaru and Kagome. Mari lets out a blood tear and I growl.

"You B*TCH…" I snarl.

"Uh, uh, uh," Ira smiles, "remember who has the power here."

She flings us far away, my face filled with hatred. I'm saving Lord Sesshomaru, but I have to find another way. Mari and I are lost again, and it's all my fault for running away from that gray hand.

**A.N: Longest…chapter…yet…review…please…I worked hard…on that one… (faints). **


	6. Death and After Revival

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Rin: Death and After Revival _

We crash into a tree, my head taking most of the pain. Blood streams out and I flinch. I have to crush my head, in order to crush hers, but she might catch on. I groan and slam my head again into the tree, making more blood come out. Mari gaps at me and I charge again, making my head ache worse and worse. No matter what, it won't crack. I groan and wobble a bit, rubbing my head. I just can't do it…I let Lord Sesshomaru down.

Mari pats my back and we walk down the path. I feel smaller, I don't know why. I look and see that my hands are smaller, but bigger than my normal self. I look around and see a lily, and it's spreading something on me. Mari gasps and stumbles.

"Lilies! That's the thing that cures you! But I guess the more, the more years you fall down until you hit twelve again…" she blinks.

I look and I see I'm sixteen. One lily equals one year erased that hasn't happened yet. Hmm, interesting. I sigh and walk forward, pushing branches out of the way. I hear rustling and look behind me to see a young man, about twenty-one. His hair is brown and the normal length, blue eyes sparkling with friendship. Mari waves and I just continue, not wanting to make friends with a village that I was about to slaughter.

"Hello," he pipes up, coming to my side. "I'm Ari."

"Go away," I mutter.

"Are you travelers?" he asks.

"Yes," Mari nods. "I'm Mari."

He looks at her tail. "A demon?"

She looks down. "Is that a problem?"

He bites his lip. "Not at all…"

"It is, I can tell," I snap.

Mari sighs and crosses her arms, continuing forward. "Hey!" Ari calls. "I can show you two around the village, if you'd like. It'd be easier to stay for the night!"

"Come on, Rin," Mari sighs.

"PLEASE!" Ari begs.

I groan and turn to him. "Fine, if it'll shut you up!"

He smiles and goes in front of us, leading us past trees and various plants. I look and I see a sunflower, and Mari slightly hisses. I look and see I'm seventeen again. CR*P. To get that away from my mind, I think of Lord Sesshomaru. He's probably having a living He** back there with Ira. I just hope he's okay, even though it's my fault he's in this mess. I shake my head and I huff, not wanting to believe what I just saw a while ago. Yes, it took awhile for Mari and I to F*CKING land, all right! I feel my bones grow, making me wince. I look down and observe my body, examining the growth of my bones. I'm nineteen, so that means I just walked by two sunflowers. Groaning, I shove my face in my hands and scream into them, muffling the pain I hold inside. Ari fails to notice, so I thank Buddha under my breath and continue, sensing other humans nearby. What the Heck…why can I even _sense _them? I shiver and hope for Lord Sesshomaru's safety.

_Sesshomaru_

"…you…B*TCH…" Inuyasha pants after the FIFTH time of attempting to kill the B*STARD.

"Haven't you learned from last time like I did?" the demon chuckles. "It seems you haven't."

I retch at the thread or whatever it is at my throat and she laughs, making my eyes flicker crimson. "You…" I snarl.

"What? She made the deal, you suffer," she cackles. "She knew it would happen."

I flinch as the thread digs deeper and I think about it hard. When I saw Rin, she wasn't coughing up any blood. In fact…she looked just fine. She was stubborn to mention any deal in front of me…

"What's the matter? Are you accepting that she was selfish enough to save herself?"

"Shut up," I hiss. "Rin wouldn't do that."

"You seem to be defending this human a great deal," she mocks.

"Sesshomaru, defend a human? HA! Don't make me laugh," Inuyasha snarls.

"Inuyasha," the demon slayer, Sango I believe, snaps, "we need to focus on getting Kagome."

"And the mutt," the black fur wolf demon mutters.

I let a snarl escape my throat. I swear he's going to pay for that one.

"Don't say that," Akiko growls. "He's missing as many people as we are, and if he finds them first…let's just say he can react how ever he wants to, and he knows Mari is YOUR ally."

"And?" he raises a brow.

"Your hopeless," she groans. "Just, hopeless."

"Excuse me, but who was it that save your as* last week?"

"Inuyasha and Kagome," she answers.

"No, no, no, LAST WEEK. Exactly seven days from now!"

"Koga."

"No, an hour after that."

"Miroku."

"Ugh…THIRTY MINUTES AFTER THAT THEN!"

"Mari."

He slaps his face and I roll my eyes. Akiko is the maker of this second Sacred Jewel? Doubt it. I shut my eyes and Rin comes to mind, that deadly look she had when Ira stuck me here.

"You know, she's at the village next to the mountain straight ahead," a voice whispers.

I widen my eyes and see a large mountain straight ahead, like the voice said. I glance at the thread and yank hard at it, cutting deep into my fingers. Ira laughs and tightens it, making blood stream out. I feel the mirror at my side pulse, so I glance at it. It's Rin, Mari the missing fox demon, and some human. Mari looks like she struggling, and the human is unconscious.

"Ira," Rin says, "anyone?"

"What is it?" Ira snaps.

"…Would you mind explaining why there's a demon here, sticking me at sword point, demanding where the F*CK you are?"

"Rin," I address, "language."

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin smiles. I guess she's somewhat happy to see me alive.

"Name?" Ira inquires.

"Um…it's Inutaisho."

I gasp. That's my father! Ira widens her eyes and scowls at the mirror. "Let's just say, he doesn't like it when I mess with his children. Isn't that right, Inutaisho?"

She tightens her thread around my throat and wraps it around everyone else here. Father's voice comes up. "Let them go."

"Only if the girl does what I say," she shrugs.

A sword point digs into Rin's throat, making me snarl. "Don't you dare."

"Sesshomaru?" Father asks.

"Aw…what a lovely family reunion!" Ira cackles.

"Shut up, B*TCH," Rin growls.

"Rin, don't make me repeat myself," I sigh.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha is staring, and the missing fox demon is concentrating hard. "…Hey…can you just GET IT THE F*CK OVER WITH?" Mari snaps. "THIS MAKES MY SPINE FEEL LIKE IT'S SNAPPING IN FOUTHS, LEAVING THE NERVE JUST DANGLING!"

"All right, I'm a demon from the dead," Ira explains.

"Obviously," Rin rolls her eyes.

"I'm not supposed to be here though, and Inutaisho here was the only one Death thought was suitable to bring me and my beloved sister back to the Netherworld. Of course, you'd have to die to bring my sister down."

"YOU B*STARD!" I roar. "I SWEAR-"

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin breathes, "w-what does she mean?"

I shut my eyes and tighten my grip around the thread. Father digs the point deeper at her throat and growls.

"Ira, you will come back."

"Over my dead body," she laughs.

She yanks the thread as hard as she can around my throat.

_Rin_

I flood with anger. My claws shoot out and Inutaisho digs it deeper. I grab the hilt and force it out of his hands. I slam his head with the flat of the blade and kick him against a tree. Mari forces the mirror that's now shattered to open and we run through, charging full force at Ira. She flings her hair at us, but my eyes are crimson and my skin turns to scales. A voice keeps yelling to stop, but I won't. She will regret what she did. I slash her F*CKING arm in two and tackle her off the tree. She punches, I kick, she stabs me with Kana, I slash her flesh open. It's the basics. I can't really feel that much control, but she will die for hurting Lord Sesshomaru. Someone pries me off and Ira gets back onto her feet. Inuyasha slashes at the dragon demon holding me back, but he's thrown back. The dragon slayer tries her hand at it, but it fails quicker than you can blink. Kagome is injured greatly, but she still fires arrows, which all take little damage. I'm stuck, wriggling and trying to get out of her jaws. My heart keeps pumping dragon demon blood, and I understand now what Ira meant: in my body was this demon's heart. I wince as the blood goes to my mouth, so I spit it out. An arrow is pierced through my ib, and Akiko is flushed with embarrassment. Mari runs up the tail and tries to grip my hand, but the arm flicks her off and she slams hard into the ground. I spy Lord Sesshomaru on the ground, covered with his own blood and struggling to get up.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" I cry. "PLEASE GET UP! PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DIE!"

The demon hurls me up and I scream as I fall into her open jaws, swallowed whole.

_Sesshomaru_

Rin's cries ring in my ears. Someone helps me up an I look to see Father, who looks as if he's starting to fade back to the Netherworld.

"You truly care about that woman, don't you?" he inquires.

I sigh and nod. He fades with the wind and I look up t the dragon, seeing Rin wasn't there. The dragon chuckles and I snarl; she better not have eaten Rin.

_Mari_

I leap at the jaws and try to force them open. I cry blood and the demon laughs at me. I kick one of her teeth out and she tries to swallow me like she did Rin. I roar and shove deadly fire in her eye. She screams and jerks, making me fall in. I grip one of her separated teeth and she forces her mouth closed. I slash out my sword and she opens her jaws to scream in pain. I hop out and trail the blade into her skin deep down to her stomach. I fling myself in the gap with my sword and search for Rin. Soemthing pushes me into the stomach acid and I surface, my skin smoking. Rin is hanging on the walls of meat and I leap up to her, grabbing her hand. She stares at me and grins, happy to see a friendly face. She seems normal now.

"Come on, we have to get you out!" I cry, tugging her arm. She shakes her head. "Why not?"

"She can't die, unless her heart dies," she answers. She cuts open her chest and reveals her heart, which looks more demon than human. "I need to die."

"NO! YOU CAN'T PLEASE! YOU'RE THE FIRST HUMAN TO NOT CONSIDER ME A FREAK!"

"You've only been out for a month and a half," she chuckles.

"STILL! I'VE STAYED IN HUMAN VILLAGES AND THEY ALL AVOIDED ME LIKE I WAS A FREAK! I WAS EVEN KICKED TWICE BY WOMEN PELTED WITH HERBS, AND-"

"What about Kagome and Sango and Miroku?" she sighs.

"Priestess, demon slayer, monk, spiritual or not normal. You are just a human who trails with a demon! You're brave, nice, and… I shouldn't say wise…"

"Gee, thanks."

"Not the point, Rin! You came from an ordinary village, with average people, treated like everyone else, you can't just die on me! People need you!"

"I'm sorry, Mari. This is the way of man. People die unfairly."

"I hate it then! I hate mankind!"

"Don't say such things!" she gasps. "Mankind isn't the faulty here, it was a stupid dead hand!"

I hold out my hand and she drops the jewel in my palm. I look inside and see when she was attacked, the gray hand bearing a resemblance to a dead demon. I squint and see the blood stream. I can see who the hand belonged to.

"This belonged to Kagura… a demon who killed all of Kota's pack…why did she do that?"

"Kagura? I've met her before, kidnapped me in fact!"

"Well, you can't let her win! She probably meant for you to die! PLEASE, RIN! LISTEN TO COMMON SENSE!"

"I'm sorry…"

She drops, tears streaming out. "Tell Lord Sesshomaru I'll always remember him."

"RIN!" I roar as loud as I can.

She plunges into the acid, and I'm jerked out of the belly through the opening. I slam hard into the ground, tumble like a log, and smack hard into a tree. I fall onto my face and push myself right as I make contact. I wipe blood out of my eyes and my fingers resort to claws. My fangs reveal themselves and my eyes glow bight crimson. I leap at the demon and slash continuously at the scales.

"YOU B*TCH! YOU SON OF A B*TCH! YOU MOTHER F*CKER!" It goes on like this, me name calling and tearing the demon to shreds as everyone contributes in some form. "YOU…YOU…YOU…YOU F*CKING B*STARD! D*M YOU TO HE**! YOU SH*T FACE! YOU AS* HOLE!"

Even Inuyasha is staring at me at this point. Akiko is gaping at the sudden violent ball of fury that is her twin. I guess this is my true nature; freaking out when I reach boiling point. I gorge the demon's eyes out and force myself inside it's head. I tear apart the inside, making the demon roar so loud, it almost makes my head burst. I roar and explode out of the head, soaked with blood and a vein or two over my shoulder. I drag down the scales and force myself into the heart chamber. Rin is there, soaked with acid. I tear at the veins connected to her and roar again. Rin isn't awake, and that makes me loose more control. I jump out of the skin and notice nobody's moved. I don't know what they see, but I'm too F*CKING P*SSED to pay attention. I tear the demon's arm clean off and slash the neck open. I kick the knees and force them to break, making the demon crash hard onto the ground. Akiko stands in front of me, directing an arrow at my head. I hiss and everyone suddenly points a weapon at me. Inuyasha is scowling and my heart feels like it's ripped in two. I hiss and Koga pins my arms behind my back.

"YOU TREACHEROUS B*TCHES! I HOPE YOU ALL GO TO HE**!" I cry, blood streaming down my cheeks. My eyes remain crimson and my fingers are still clawed. Ira, the hair B*TCH, rests on a tree, smirking. Now I understand. I head butt Koga in the face and everyone attacks, so I jump and attack Ira, tearing at her flesh and prying her skull out of her head. I drag it out and crush it, making her disappear into thin air. I roar as an arrow pierces my shoulder and I rip it out, turning. Everyone is still pointing weapons at me. I don't understand anymore, but I see the jewel pitch-black, laughing at me. I settle down and let the blood fall. Father is in his human form, brown hair and green eyes. His attire is the usual samurai armor and the large katana. I grip the hilt of my sword and stare at all of them, shocked.

"Guys, please…I…what is this for? I didn't hurt you…"

I notice Kagome on the ground, struggling to get up. I guess in my blind rage I knocked her down somewhere. Her leg is twisted at the worst angle and she stares at me with understanding eyes. Everyone else is scowling and only Akiko and Pa are looking at me with sympathy. I quiver and grip the hilt tighter, worried and scared. The jewel continues to shine black and I refuse to shut my eyes. I'm betrayed, and Rin is dead. It's all my fault, because I had to loose control and not face facts.

_Rin_

I stumble as I rise, noticing the demon around me is long dead. I see there's an opening and push myself through the flesh of the stomach, or the head at least. Everyone is pointing a weapon at Mari, and blood tears down her cheeks. I gap and run out, pushing through the wall of betraying B*STARDS and run in front of her.

"You can't kill her!" I scream.

They don't reply. I cock my head to the side and Mari quivers at the scene, scared out of her mind. The jewel is black and I think I understand it; they're frozen.

"Oh, I get it. Since the jewel is black, it made them freeze!" I smirk.

Mari shakes her head. "Not even close."

Sesshomaru sighs, disproving me theory. "CR*P," I mutter.

"Rin, don't protect her," he says. "Get out of the way."

"But-"

"Now."

I look at Mari and bite my lip. My life, or hers? "No."

"What?" Sango gasps.

"No, I won't let you kill her! She was just trying to kill the other demons! I mean, just because you hurt people trying to kill a demon, does that mean you all deserve to die? Well, does it?"

Everyone exchanges glances, making me ball my hands into fists, blood trickling own my fingers. Mari rests a hand on my shoulder, prepared to push me back if anything happens. I don't want that, I want to be in this together. Kagome struggles standing, but she finds support against a tree. I can tell she doesn't want Mari to die either, I even see it in Natasha's (Mari talks in her sleep) and Akiko's eyes. I stiffen and drag out Kana, ready for attack. Something stabs my neck and I flinch. Lord Sesshomaru gasps and everyone widens their eyes. I drag out something from my neck and see it's a talon. I look up and my vision starts to blur. I fall sideways and Mari screams, crying blood. I slam hard into the ground, blood streaming out. Lord Sesshomaru and everyone else comes over, Mari kneeling next to me and crying. She keeps shaking me and I don't understand what her cries translate to. I only catch one line.

"WAKE UP!"

I can't shut my eyes. I can't breathe. I can't see. I can only hear. Something slashes, and I scream, at least inside. I'm not sure about the outside. Mari's screams cease, and I grow cold.

000M+R000

_What is that symbol? _I ask myself. I sit up and my back feels like He**. I look around and both Ira's have their arms crossed, glaring at me. I look up and some gate opens. I stand and a hand reaches out. Pa, Ma, my brothers…

"Rin, oh how we missed you!" Ma cries.

I feel my cheeks go damp and some cold feeling shoot down my spine. "M-Ma…"

"Come on, Rin," Pa offers me his hand. "Reunite with your family."

I look around and I see a sunflower. I feel my bones grow once again and I examine myself to see that I'm twenty. I mutter under my breath and look up at my family. Something feels missing, and it drowns my lungs. I walk up one step and something grabs my wrist. I turn to Inutaisho, who's staring at me with sad eyes.

"Someone's missing, and I think you remember who is."

He fades. Ira and Ira fade as well, leaving me staring up at my family. Inutaisho's right, I know who's missing. I doubt he'd except me though, since I disobeyed. I take a deep breath and Pa smiles warmly. _Mari…is she alive? _I look around.

"MARI! MARI! MARI! MARI OH BUDDHA BE ALIVE! MARI! MARI! PLEASE MARI! I CAN'T CONTINUE NOT KNOWING IF YOUR DEAD OR NOT!"

A tear streams down my cheek, and I spin around and around. I start to breathe heavily and rapidly, worried and upset.

"MARI! MARI! MARI! PLEASE! MARI! OH BUDDHA, YOU DON'T DESERVE DEATH! YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON! MARI! PLEASE!"

I break down sobbing. Pa rests his hand on my shoulder and I collapse on the ground, flat on my stomach and my face buried into the ground. Someone pats my head and I look up. Mari's there, smiling.

"NO! WHY ARE YOU HERE! YOU CAN'T!"

"But I am," she sighs.

She sinks into the ground. He**. I break down sobbing and I beat the ground with my right fist. My left elbow is still torn, but I can't feel it anymore. Is it gone? I don't care.

"HOLY F*CK IT! WHY? SHE DIDN'T DESERVE IT! WHY? YOU MOTHER F*CKER, RIN, THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

I stand up and I look around. I dig the ground up, on my knees, and I sob continuously. She can't…SHE CAN'T! I pound the ground and sob, feeling a pit in my heart. She was so kind and gentle…they killed her…WHY? Someone chuckles and the gates close, my family looking sad and disappointed. Another gate opens, and it's downstairs. Naraku rises from the gate and holds out a hand.

"Come, I can bring you to avenge your friend," he smirks maniacally.

I shake with anger and sorrow. I run the opposite direction, only making him laugh. "You can't run from Death!"

"WANNA BET?" I scream.

I rip Kana out of the seethe and it pulses. I slash at the darkness and it illuminates. I dash through the light and something grabs me by the front kimono. I break into tears and the light shows what's happening. I'm only crying in the inside, because I'm surrounded by water. I wake up and wave my arms in a fury. I rip a demon arm off my body and swim to surface, gripping onto a rock. I take a huge gulp of air and enter the frigid water again. My lungs are scorching, and I search madly for Mari. I refuse to surface again until I find her, so I'm drowning. My vision begins to blur and the tears are not helping. I grasp my throat and I feel tears roll down in swarms. Someone grips my ankle and I look down. Mari's lifeless body is floating on the surface, I note as I lower my head. A demon is gripping my leg. I reach madly for the surface, but it drags me down. I feel my lungs burn with the cold, and my black hair is swarming everywhere around my head. I shut my eyes and force all my energy to helping Mari. I kick the demon hard in the back and swim rapidly for Mari. I grip her ankle, but the demon catches up. We're both dragged down, and I want to scream. I yank Kana with my left, no matter how much it hurts, and plung the blade hard in the skull. Light floods the water, and Mari and I are shot out of the water due to the angry demon and launched into the rough side of a cliff. I scream as my left forearm and elbow plummet into the water, and Mari doesn't wake up. I have her stomach over my left foot and my right hand is gripping for dear life on the cliff wall. The demon splashes rough waves of water at us, making me scream more. I'm scared, and I don't want to die without Mari at least living. My nails dig deeper, we're dragged downward, nobody is hearing my screams. I scream loudly, this time, letting go of the wall.

_Inuyasha_

I feel like SH*T. I didn't want to end Mari's life, especially when she was just a little tyke with friendly intentions. Sesshomaru doesn't seem to be having the time of his life either, with that girl dead and all. A scream fills everyone's ears, I can tell, and Sesshomaru starts running back to the cliff. I run by his side.

"What are you doing?" he demands.

"If that girl's alive, don't you think she'd gotten Mari back somehow?"

He stares at me and nods. Mari didn't deserve it, but it's better for her to think that we were upset about the whole thing. Why I didn't look sympathetic? Because I was busy holding back the enormous amount of tears welling up inside.

_Rin_

I kick madly at the demon and slash continuously. I grip the wall again and can only hold on, since I'm missing a forearm. I scan for the arm being mentioned and I can't find it. I shut my eyes and the demon drags me down once again, digging bite marks into my ankle. I shake my head and force myself back up, slamming the demon against the wall. I jump, releasing the wall, and catching it again. I make sure Mari is still on and repeat twice. On the third time, the rock crumbles and I fall into the water, smashing the demon hard in the head with my back. The force of the waves keeps me down, even though I'm forcing all my energy to get up. I shake my head side to side rapidly and start kicking, only sinking. Someone grips my wrist and I scream, loosing all breath due to fright. Whoever it is yanks me up and I sputter and choke. I'm passed up and someone rests the back of their hand against my forehead. I can't understand anyone, and I feel really sick. Someone rests their hand on my stomach and I swing my arm in panic. Someone pins me down and someone ruffles my hair, making it feel slightly lighter. Mari is not in sight, and I start to freak out. Someone sit me at an angle and I start to look around in a panic. I can't see anything, and I can't really feel anything anymore. Next thing I know, I'm on my feet and clawed. I spin around in confusion and grip my head, freaking out. Someone tries to grip my shoulders, but I push them back, confused, scared, and worried. Someone slaps me and my body reacts in a not so kind way. I'm pushed back, then someone grips my wrist. My hands are confused and go to that stage between claws and normal. I look up and I can barely see anything.

"What's going on?" I ask whoever's there. "Why can't I see?"

The person yanks me up and rests their hands on my shoulders. I hear some mumbling, but that's it. I blink, trying to clear my vision, and then someone punches me.

"KNOCK IT OFF WITH THE CONTINUOUS HITTING ME!" I bark. "I mean seriously! Do you hit everyone?"

"Yes," I hear that wolf demon, Koga chuckle.

"Oh, it's the mangy wolf who made Mari go missing," I mutter.

He kicks my stomach. "SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU!"

"KOGA!" Kagome screams. "STOP IT!"

Someone helps me up and taps my ears. I giggle and I see a smile, but that's really all I can see at the moment. I wrinkle my nose and try to look out for my arm in the waters below, but the person keeps me facing forward.

"Are you all right?" the person asks. I can't decide who the voice belongs to.

"Yeah, uh…may I ask which one of you are you?"

He smiles again. "I guess your hearing is not what it used to be."

"Not at all."

I hear him chuckle. "Well, I guess we'll see about that later."

"(Something)! I'm back!" another voice pipes up. Jaken?

I look behind me and see my arm being held out to me. I look at the face and it's Inuyasha. Out of all the faces I can recognize, I can only recognize his? What rotten luck!

"Here," he says, offering my arm, "you're lucky it's still in one piece."

"Not exactly," I point out.

I accept the arm and nod, making him go to Kagome's side. I look at the ground and see Mari, lifeless and cold. I frown and sigh, knowing no matter what, I can't bring her back. If only she had Kana and not me. I look at my stump and note that it's growing painful by the second. I cover it with one hand and stare at my forearm. It's pale, mostly since that it's detached and can't retrieve blood, and the fingers are limp against the palm. I stare at the stump and remove the arm, seeing it's crimson and what looks like a vein in there. I cringe and bite my lip, fighting the urge to vomit. The person who wasn't beating me to a pulp like Koga rests a hand on my back, leading me over to a rock and sits me down. I yawn and he chuckles a it, confusing me. I note that there's a tree behind me and I roll my eyes.

"I get the picture, okay?" I laugh.

Whoever he is, he kisses the top of my head and I fall asleep, somewhat smiling at the gesture.

**A.N: Don't think this is the end, peoples. **


	7. Truth?

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Kagome: Truth? _

I can't expect that Inuyasha is on any level glad about Mari's death. I mean, I've seen the way they play together, and I really think he considers her like a best friend or something. I've had my fair share of good times with her, but she was more of an Inuyasha fan herself. Unlike the rest of us, she thinks that what his personality is should stay and never change. I know he respects her for that. Usually, even though it's been a month and a half, she would catch a ton of fish and divide it up equally. Any she didn't want, she would give to Inuyasha. He never got on the bad side of her, and when he teased her, it wasn't all out mean like he does with Shippo. Speaking of which, I haven't seen him in a while…I wonder where he went.

Inuyasha is sitting on a rock near the village everyone's breaking at, since it's been a Heck of a rough day. He's just staring out into the water, his face a little down. I sigh and walk up, surprisingly not gathering his attention. He's usually so aware. I rest a hand on his shoulder and he doesn't react like he usually does, he just sits there.

"I'm sure she's just sleeping," I comfort. "There is such thing as hibernation, right?"

"I guess," he mutters. "That still doesn't get rid of the fact that I was the one who jabbed an F*CKING sword through her neck!"

"Inuyasha," I sigh, "she probably got the fact that we were trying to get her to calm down, not kill her. But, she was the one who made that decision. None of us are thrilled by the fact she's dead, she'll come around."

"With our luck? Yeah right! Kagome, this isn't like all the other times. We've had too many chances, and the last straw was when you escaped Ira the dragon demon when she tried to eat you! That was it!"

"What about when Rin came back?" I point out.

"That's Sesshomaru's problem, not ours. Like I said, too many chances."

I sigh and walk away, leaving him to clear his thoughts. Inuyasha is really taking this hard, and so is Sango. I walk into the village and into the headman's home, where Rin lays unconscious and Mari is sprawled on the floor, a peaceful expression inscribed on her face. I walk over and shake Mari's shoulders, hoping she'd wake up. She doesn't. Either she's a heavy sleeper, or really dead. I let a tear escape and I walk into the room that contains Sango. She sits awake, gloomily staring at nothing. I sit next to her and she turns to me.

"What if she's really gone?" Sango asks.

I shrug. "All I know is, I'm not giving up on her, and neither should you."

_Mari_

I rub my eyes, finding myself in some dark space. Rin was here, but why isn't she now? I look around and see a light from the normal world. I stand up weakly and run for it, someone grabbing my ankle and yanking me down into the ground. I don't want to go into He**, that's where all the bad ones go. I claw at the ground in front of me and yank myself up, sprinting through the scar. Something cuts into my flesh and I collapse on the ground, weak and bleeding. I force my head up and I spy Kagura, the B*TCH from all those years ago.

"What do you F*CKING want?" I snap.

"You know Lord Sesshomaru," she states.

"Yeah, and? You killed my friends pack!" I shout

"Koga?" she raises a brow.

"No, KO-TA."

I stand and she knocks me down again with sharp bursts of wind. "I don't think so. You're mother has made my life here a living He**, and I'm letting her have a alive daughter!"

"Oh yeah, well, you can go suck it, because I'm getting the F*CK out of the SH*T hole and you can go away and follow that as*, Naraku. Got that, you mother F*CK?"

She growls and releases another wave. I jump out of the scar and shut it firmly behind me. I look around and see that I'm inside the jewel, again. I look up and I see outside of the jewel. Akiko sits against a wall, sobbing her eyes out. Miroku is patting her upper back and I reach up for the ceiling. I feel blood crawling down my cheeks. I jump and reach for Akiko, crying blood more and more.

"Akiko! Akiko, I'm down here! Akiko!" I cry. I hold in a scream and let out a big burst. "AKIKO, LISTEN TO ME PLEASE!"

She can't hear me. I force the jewel out of her hands and roll it as fast as I can make it towards Inuyasha's scent. At least he'll listen to me. I feel the breeze whip by and the jewel's jerked up, making me crash down hard on the ground. I'm staring up at some bull demon, who's smirking.

"A Sacred Jewel!" he cries in glee.

"SH*T, SH*T, SH*T!" I whimper. "INUYASHA!"

A flash of wind and light twirling together shoots out at the demon and he evaporates. The jewel falls to the ground, hurling me against the ceiling and slamming me hard against the floor. Inuyasha comes and picks up the jewel, examining it. I bang on the walls and he squints. I groan and scream as loud as I can. He jumps back and squints again, smiling.

"Mari?" he asks hopefully.

"Yeah, who else do you know who's unconscious that can get in here?" I raise a humored brow.

He jumps up, accidently slamming me on the ceiling and smashing me hard on the floor, making something in my spine shatter. I blink and scowl, a bit upset.

"Sit," I snap.

He sits. He groans and stares at the jewel. "I thought only Kagome could do that."

"She told me it was all in the spiritual power; making a Sacred Jewel makes enough of that to fill a thousand ordinary monks."

He rolls his eyes and runs for the village I just left, I gather heading for my body so I can get back in it. He's tripped by something and I roll uncontrollably to the headman's house, slamming and smashing against the walls as the speed picks up faster and faster. The jewel slams into the stair and I slam into the wall, forcing the jewel to hop up and slam into yet another, same repeat twice, and I roll into Rin's arm. She flutters her eyes open and she stares at the jewel, my dizzy soul waving madly to get her attention. She cocks her head and picks the jewel up, standing, even though it looks painful, and dropping the jewel onto my body. My soul flies in and I pop my eyes open, the world around me dizzy and spinning. I feel queasy and run to the stairs, puking underneath the stairs. My eyes are rolling round and round and I grip my head to keep it from swaying any more. She laughs and I smirk, seeing that it is ridiculous that I'm like this. Kagome and Sango run out and shriek once they see me. The headman and his son run out in high hopes that I'm awake and smile, seeing that I'm more attractive once awake (what? You honestly think that the jewel doesn't tell me this stuff?). I stand and wobble, causing Sango and Kagome to run over and support me. Rin waves at me with her right and I notice her left forearm and elbow is missing. I wince, imagining the pain she went through when that came off, and go up the steps, set down in bed by Kagome and Sango, who bombard me with hugs and 'we missed you' s and 'how could you scare us like that?' s. I wince as my back takes most of the blows and I see Miroku and Akiko come in. Akiko shrieks in delight and nearly smothers me.

"ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO WAKE UP THE WHOLE VILLAGE?" I gasp, nearly suffocating.

"Well, we missed you!" Kagome smiles.

"I've been gone three hours," I blink. "Not that long."

Rin smirks and sits in front of me, smiling. I stand and wave everyone else out. I sit down next to Rin and we shuffle through some flowers that I have in my pocket. A sunflower makes her twenty-one, a rose makes her smile wide, poison ivy makes my skin itch like mad, and a plant with jaws nearly takes off her right hand. Why I have these, I don't know.

_Rin_

I wake up, sneezing and shivering. I think that ivy went to both Mari and I'S heads. I mean, I don't remember the last time I've been this sick! I sniffle and I hear someone enter. I turn my head to see the little fox demon, Shippo.

"What the He** happened here?" he raises a brow.

"Long…(***sneeze, cough, sneeze, sniffle, sniffle***)…story…"

"I can see that…well, I hope you two are okay!" Shippo smiles.

"Thanks…(***sneeze, sniffle, cough, hack, blood spray out of her nose, sneeze, blood, sniffle, sniffle, hack***)…Shippo…" Mari groans with illness.

Shippo skips over in between us and starts entertaining us with his fox magic. One made him invisible, but that's when Lord Sesshomaru walks in and spies the little fox demon with a charm and a leaf attached to his head. It wore off. Mari giggles and I muffle laughter. He smiles and looks at Lord Sesshomaru, the smile wiping clean off.

"You can see me, can't you?" Shippo looks blankly forward.

Lord Sesshomaru nods. Shippo sighs, sweat forming on his forehead, and he sits on Mari's ankle, juggling fox fire. Lord Sesshomaru sits next to me and I notice something different about him; he has two arms instead of one.

"Uh…" I blink.

"Long story," he states.

"It's not like…(***hack, sneeze, sniffle, sniffle, hack, blood spurt, crank in the spine, hack, sniffle, sneeze, cough, blood, sniffle, sniffle, whimper, sniffle, hack***)…we don't…have plenty of that…unless we die in the few seconds it took this thing to come."

"You had the…(***hack, hack, sneeze, cough, sniffle, sniffle, blood spurt out of my stump, vomit in mouth, hack, sneeze, sniffle x3***)…poison ivy…"

"I told you…(***hack, hack, blood, hack, sneeze [a large one, I may add], cough, hack, wheeze, sniffle, crank, sniffle, wheeze***)…I don't know how…that got…(***hack x7, cough, hack x2, sneeze [x10 more powerful than the last, it actually makes her body jump an inch], blood, hackx18, sniffle x8***)…THERE!"

Lord Sesshomaru looks at me. "I guess you do have as much time as Mari said."

"Well, it's just poison ivy, not actual poison," Shippo shrugs.

"Easy for you to say…" Mari groans. "I'm…(***hack x2, cough x8, blood for two seconds while sneezing x5, cranks x3, wheeze x7, sniffle x2, hack x21***)…ALLERGIC!"

"Wow, unlucky you…"I smirk weakly.

"If I…(***hack x8, cough x23, wheeze x9, sneeze x2, sniffle x12, hack x10, cough x31, sniffle x4, sneeze, sniffle, groan, clears throat***)…was not so D*M sick, I'd kick your sorry…(***a weird noise that sounds like choking x3, hack x5, cough x21, sneeze x15, sniffle x6, hack x2, cough x12, sneeze, sniffle x2, groan***)…as*."

"You know," I smirk, "I think your illness is already bad enough for me to be mad… (***cough x3, sneeze x8, sniffle x4, hack x2, blood for 20 seconds while coughing x5***)."

Lord Sesshomaru rests the back of his hand on my forehead and sighs. I guess he hints fever. He sits up and Mari smirks at him.

"Are you going…to tell us the…F*CKING story before we die or what…(***cough x43, hack x32, sneeze x24, sniffle x6, blood, groan, crank, wince, hack x24, cough x41, a bump in the head by Lord Sesshomaru throwing a random rock at her head***)?"

I smirk and look up at Lord Sesshomaru. He sighs and looks down at me for a bit.

_Sesshomaru_

Well, Mari has a point, I guess…I sigh and nod, stiffening for a minute.

(**FLASHBACK)** Jaken was rambling on by my side, making me wonder why I kept him. I shut my eyes for a bit and look down at the frog-like demon, wondering where he was going with this. To be honest, I wasn't listening for ¾ of the time.

"…and then she hit me upside the head! Can you believe it?" Jaken groans. I guessed he was talking about Rin, since he barely knew any other women except enemies, and he only spent most of his days with Rin and me. I blankly look ahead, wondering where I'd find some D*M berries for Rin. I heard a rustle and looked next to me to see a little gray hand. Jaken cocked his head to the side and I just stared at it blankly, not caring the slightest. The hand was dragging a demon with it, and I could see the hand had some sort of ring on it. It looked like a wolf, and I assumed this belonged to someone one of the wolf demons knew. The hand crawled over and started tugging on my leg, making Jaken arm his Staff of Two Heads. I raised a hand and allowed it to guide me next to the demon. It pointed out a point of the demon where my arm was missing. I could get the hint easy enough. I chopped off the arm and I picked it up. I attached it to where it was missing and looked at the head. The head waved two fingers and crawled off, leaving Jaken staring and I walked forward. I don't remind him to come, since I know he would find me again anyways if he actually got separated from me. I sigh, trying to think of why I kept him in the first place.

**(END OF FLASHBACK) **I guess the fact that I can't even remember why I kept him amused Rin, since she was trying to muffle her laughter.

_Sango_

Akiko silently walks by my side, smiling ear to ear. She picks berries here and there and Kota smirks as she falls in a few times. Then she smacks him on the back of the head, they start sparring, laughing, then ten berries usually get squished, this time it was fifteen. I sigh and shake my head, understanding the two were 'friends'. Miroku I trust is keeping his lecherous little hands to himself, Shippo's probably with Mari and Rin, Sesshomaru is a bit confusing, and Koga is probably keeping an eye on Kagome while she's gathering herbs. Inuyasha hasn't been around for a bit, I wonder what happened to the guy.

I hear a rustle and grip the handle of my slayer weapon {A.N: I can't type the F*CKING name, so deal with it}. Akiko stiffens and Kota just goes over and yanks whoever's in there out. It's a very P*SSED off Inuyasha.

"LET GO OF ME YOU MANGY WOLF!" he shouts.

Kota drops him on command, making Akiko shake her head humorously. Inuyasha growls and crosses his arms, sour all right.

"What's with you?" I question.

"Mari. She did that 'sit' thing to me!" he snaps.

Huh, I guess it is spiritual power based. "Is that it?"

"No, that's not it!" he snaps. "I fell last night and her soul went rolling off!"

I blink. "Soul?"

"Well, that'd explain how she was unconscious," Akiko confirms.

"Wait…was?" Inuyasha blinks.

"Yeah, mutt, she woke up last night," Kota chuckles.

Inuyasha pins his throat to a tree with one hand. "Say that again, you mangy flea bag."

"Okay, you boys had enough," Akiko rests a hand on each of their chests, ready to push them away if it comes to that. "Now, Inuyasha is not a mutt, but a dog demon. Kota is not a mangy flea bag, he's a clean freak."

"Gee, thanks," Kota grumbles.

"At least she's actually defending you," I point out.

I hear another rustle and see a shadow skid by. Inuyasha sniffs and groans. "Trouble."

_Rin_

"Mari, really?" I groan as Mari clutches a little rag with her life.

"I like cloth, so what?" she snaps.

"You two seem better," Shippo chuckles.

"Shippo, do you think it bad if someone likes cloth?" Mari cocks her head as she sits up.

"Not really. I mean, look at Inuyasha. He likes Kagome and keeps her-"

"OKAY! Different subject!" I wave my hands madly to cut him off.

Suddenly, the ground rattles. I turn my head and see some sort of shadow at the door. A bloody sword is at it's side and whoever he is drags it up and growls.

"Come with me you three," he orders. "NOW!"

Mari stands and Shippo clings to her shoulders. I clutch my stump and wobble while standing. Mari supports me and I see she flinches. I stare at the shadow and flash out Kana. I slash at him.

"NO RIN!" Mari cries, trying to control me.

I keep slashing and beating the hilt against his head. He slashes at my stomach and I jump up, aiming the blade down. I feel cold all of a sudden, and I gasp as I fall hard on the ground. Every sound drowns in my ears and I blink in surprise. A blade is high above my face and plunges down. It freezes and I can make out one sound: Mari's roar of anger and sorrow.

"NO YOU DON'T YOU B*STARD!"

She flings him out and pounces on him, punching, stabbing, making him suffer. I cough up blood and wince at the burning at my throat. I grip the hilt of Kana and Shippo tries to keep me lying down, but I force myself up, wobbling, stumbling, wincing, flinching. I slam against the wall, trying to take a step, and snarl at myself. I raise Kana and shut my eyes, pushing myself out of the hut and digging the blade deep into the shoulder as a last remark. I hear him slowly die away and I collapse, still clutching Kana. Mari roughly shakes my shoulders and cries blood at once.

"RIN! RIN! RIN THIS ISN'T FUNNY! RIN! PLEASE RIN, I'M BEGGING YOU! RIN!"

I widen my eyes and feel my heart clench once. I wince slightly, feeling all my energy drain out, and dig my nails in the ground and the hilt of Kana. The pain is unbearable, but I refuse to scream. I feel someone grip my shoulder and nearly tear it out of my socket; I wince. I can't hear many noises, but I can see Inuyasha, Akiko, Kota, and the demon slayer Sango run up, panting.

"Oh F*CK…" Kota blinks.

"Now you show up?" Mari stands, crying. "I mean the only people missing are the ones who can make this woman see COMMON SENSE!"

I wince as somebody rolls me onto my back and I stare up at Lord Sesshomaru, who seems to be observing my wounds. Though as much as they hurt, just seeing him again makes the pain dim. Mari comes to my other side and flicks a stray strand of hair out of my face, making me grin. She bashes her eyes like a twelve-year-old (I should know) and grins back, thinking I was the happiest person in the world I gather. Akiko stands her up and tugs her back, understanding that I need some breathing space of sorts, you know? She frowns a bit and starts juggling fox fire, landing some on the tip of her nose, freaking out so much it makes me laugh despite the pain, and she buries her face in the ground to kill the flames. I sigh and shut my eyes, fatigue from the sudden loss of blood.

000M+R000

"_Things that shine, are usually cruel to the eyes," _Mari signs silently to me. _"Things that dim and fade show life as it shades from warmth to ice…Things that are erased from this Earth in a second due to the acts of man as we know it shatter in front of us, break into pieces, freeze into the bloody snow-"_

"And your mother sang this to you when you were _seven_?" Inuyasha blinks.

I smirk. It is sort of queer, don't you think. Mari claps excitedly and someone grips her hands together to cease the noise. I know she pouts and yanks her hands back into her own control, a bit grouchy. I flutter my eyes open and turn to see Koga, the brown fur wolf demon, was the one ceasing the clapping. I smirk as I see a devilish glint in her eyes. Well, she is a demon, isn't she?

"Mari, don't' you…(***hack x4, cough x39, wince, cough35***)…dare…" I whisper, nearly breathless.

"Dare what?" she cocks her head to the side innocently.

"You know…"

She sighs in defeat and hands the ready smashing top in my palm. I see it carries a small ring of fox fire around the tip, alarming me that she probably meant damage. I roll my eyes and pocket it, trying to be sure she won't get at it again. But then again, she's a _fox. _Kagome is smiling at me and Inuyasha sits me up, Sango leaning me against the wall I'm in front of. Kagome hands me some concauction and I can tell by her gesture that she wants me to drink it. Inuyasha is smiling in the friendly way and Mari is shaking her head, warning me that the results aren't going to be pretty. I stare at the liquid and squish my eyes together, forcing the stuff in. My eyes widen and I want to spit it out and just puke. The stuff tastes like pig demon liver (trust me, I know). Inuyasha watches and I force myself to gulp it down, blinking and scowling at Inuyasha at the same time.

"What was in that?" I gap.

"A series of different livers," Shippo answers.

Mari hands me a bucket and I snatch it quick, puking. Kagome pats my back and Sango holds my hair out of the puke path. I can't see the monk anywhere (maybe that's because I'm looking down into a new puke bucket) and Kota, the black fur wolf demon, looks about ready to pass out. I lift my head up and resist the urge to have another minute of puking. That stuff is revolting, let's just say that. Mari rests something on my head and I pluck off the piece of cloth she found a few minutes before I passed out. It's orange with a little white dragon in the center. There are green rings scattered about and she points to my kimono, pointing out the colors were about identical.

"I get the picture," I smile, pocketing the cloth and tossing her back the top, not in the mood to make her down. She devilishly grins at Koga and holds up both hands, pulling down a finger each second. He dashes out and once the last finger is pulled down, runs after him. Kagome laughs and I look at her.

"I doubt Mari's gonna catch up any time soon," she chuckles.

"Mari's pretty d*m fast," I remind.

"Rin, language," Lord Sesshomaru reminds. I guess he thinks I forgot about that.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," I bow my head. "Anyways, she could beat anyone's blink in a race, in my opinion."

"Keh! I doubt that," Inuyasha scoffs, smirking challengingly. "She still has me to beat!"

"That'd be interesting," Sango giggles.

"To you, maybe," Kota shrugs. "To Mari, a challenge is like a chance to gain or loose honor, that's it."

"To me, it's a great way to waste precious money," Akiko chuckles.

"You didn't have to make the bet, you know, although you still owe me!" Kota snaps.

"Well, we're sort of in a tight spot. Maybe-"

"-next month," he finishes. "I've heard that twenty-nine hundred times before!"

I blink. "No wonder Mari ran off," I mumble.

Akiko pauses, and so does everyone else. Even Lord Sesshomaru picks up his ears and listens in, interested a bit. What he is interested in? No idea on that one. Kota clears his throat and Kagome begins the talking.

"Why would you say that, Rin?" she raises a brow.

"Well, she acts like a child, right?"

"Right," Inuyasha nods, knowing plenty about Mari.

"Well, you all should know what kids hate. You all were kids once; exception to Shippo, since he still is."

They all think about it and Sango sighs, making almost everyone turn to her. "I guess she's hinting out the bickering."

They date back and Kagome begins to look guilty. I turn to her and cross my arms. "This should be interesting," I mutter.

_Kagome_

I sigh and bite my lip for a second. I face her and nod, accepting to tell her what I did.

**(Flashback) **This, of course, happened the day she disappeared. I was simply watching the clouds, listening to the collaboration of noises cluttering the air around me. There was Sango and Miroku chatting about Inuyasha's lack of 'maturity', Shippo was juggling fox fire with Kirara pouncing around him, Akiko and Kota sparring, and Koga snapping at Inuyasha occasionally. I rested a hand on the ground and looked up to Inuyasha picking something apart. I squinted to see one of Mari's cloths, knowing full well she fancied those mostly because of her genes. I walked over to the tree who's branches contained a peaceful version of Inuyasha, and I cocked my head to the side.

"Inuyasha?" I call.

"Eh?"

"What's that you got there?"

"Cloth, why?"

"Where'd you get it?"

I heard him curse a bit. "Found it."

"Where?"

"On the ground, where else?"

"One, there are branches that can catch stuff, and two, I'm not stupid."

"Actually…" he muttered.

I growled. "Sit."

He smashed down and twitched a bit in anger. He lifted his head and scowled. "HEY!"

"That's one of Mari's cloths, isn't it?" I questioned.

"So what? It's cloth!"

"She has a fascination with them, lets just say that," I crossed my arms.

"Well, Miroku has a fascination with women, and you haven't seen him groping one lately!"

"INUYASHA!" I scolded.

"IT'S THE TRUTH, STUPID!"

"SIT!" Slam. "SIT!" Slam. "SIT!" Slam. Ext. It continued and I had a strange feeling somebody was watching, but I ignored it.

**(End of Flashback) "**So, I was probably the first one to bicker in front of her that day," I admit.

"Okay, it's good you admitted it, Kagome-cha," Rin comforts. "I'm not surprised Inuyasha didn't pipe up though…"

"IT'S CLOTH!" he swung his arms out, gaping at the fact people actually care for other people's personal lives.

"Kagome, you said something about it being in her genes," Kota pointed out. "Natasha nor their Ma never cared for cloth."

I point to Akiko and she blushes, fiddling with her Kimono. He mouths 'oh' and faces Rin, a bit guilty looking as well. "I guess I should fess up to."

"And me," Akiko raises a hand. "I was quarreling with Kota."

"I was quarreling with Akiko and Koga," Kota admits.

"Well, it's not like we don't have time on our side," Rin smiles.

_Kota_

"I'll go first," I raise my hand. **(Flashback)** This happened the day she disappeared. I was just finishing my spar with Akiko when she slapped me upside the head. I looked and saw she was holding one of my daggers. I chuckled nervously and plucked it out of her hands, returning it to my bag of daggers. It might not be wise to do that, but it's not like a wolf demon like me has many resources now does he? I stared at the canopy of the trees and folded my arms behind my head.

"Hey, Akiko?" I addressed.

"Yep?" she muttered.

"What is the use of a fox demon?"

This is where she slapped me hard across the face. I guessed that was worded wrong.

"Hey! I didn't mean it like that!" I rub my stinging cheek.

"That what _did _you mean?" she snarled.

Not a good sign, yet I kept digging my own grave. "I meant I've heard rumors that strong demons have been taking fox demons. What's the use of that?"

She whacked me again. I heard Yoshihiro and Koga laughing in the distance, so I stood up in a fury and stomped over, seeing they were on a branch of a tree trying to muffle their laughter. I kicked the tree roughly with my knee and I heard the roots snapping from the ground. I guess they heard it to, but the tree was already smacking the ground when they reacted. Koga slammed the ground with his fist and shot up, fists clenched.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" he demanded.

"EVER HEARD OF PRIVACY?" I bark. Well, I'm not a dog, so I guess I shouldn't say bark…(present: Inuyasha nearly slams my face to the ground and Kagome says 'Sit'. He slams into the ground before he can even touch me and Rin gestures for me to continue. I glance at Sesshomaru quickly to see his jaw is set to 'annoyed')…Anyways…

"For your information, it's just a CONVERSATION! So," he crosses his arms.

"Oh yeah? Last week, you were barking at Inuyasha when he was listening to your conversation with Kagome!" I snap. (Inuyasha tries again, but I lift my hands. "I'm quoting here!").

"That's different!" he defends. "And don't compare me to that-" (I look at Inuyasha. "Would you like me to leave out his description of you?" He shoots up and crosses his arms. "I'm taking that as a no…") "-AS*HOLE OF A MANGY MUTT GENERAL!"

(Sesshomaru nearly claws my back off. Inuyasha grips his head and growls, allowing me to see a tint of red in his eyes. "I warned you…" I sigh.).

"HEY! INUYASHA ISN'T AN AS*HOLE! Cocky, but, still! He's not half bad…"

(Inuyasha growls at me. "Quoting, ever heard of it?" I shrug. He nods and flips me off, making Kagome go ahead with the 'Sit' command. I lean a bit and chuckle. "I guess it was worth it.").

"Oh, siding with the mutt, huh?" Koga mocked.

"Okay, so I'm just grateful he lets us tag along. Besides, you saw how Mari was! She's a bit dumber now though…"

I felt someone clobber me from behind and I turned to Akiko. "DO NOT CALL MARI STUPID!"

"Oh look at it! She obsesses with CLOTH! She stops every time she senses movement! ADD THEM UP BUDDHA D*MMIT!"

"Exaggerate much?" Koga snarled.

"I WOULDN'T TALK MISTER HERBIVORE!" I roll over the edge.

"THAT'S IT!"

We screamed, scolded, hit, even Koga and I sparred for a bit. Yoshihiro was just shaking his head continuously, making me think he was trying to screw it off somehow, or screw it on and off and on and off and ext. Like Kagome, I felt something was a bit wrong in our position, but I was focused on the argument. (**End o' Flashback)**

I face Inuyasha. "There, all done. Better now?" He cracks his knuckles. "What? I quoted!"

"Yeah, that's the problem," he snarls.

Kagome tugs my wrist, so I face her. "You still said what you said, you do know that, right?" she reminds me.

"Well, like you taught me, people say things they don't mean in times of stress."

"It's called adrenaline, and yes, but not as often like you did."

I shrug. "So I meant one thing and agree with one thing Koga said. Doesn't mean I'm saying which."

Inuyasha drags me up and snarls, holding me up by the armor on my shoulders. "You better."

"Inuyasha," Kagome warns.

"Kagome, if you tell me to 'sit'," he argues, still glaring at me, "he comes down with."

She sighs, knowing that it's going to be difficult to get me out of this one. I sigh and shield my eyes, since I'd like to see the sun once more once he's done with me. "You're cocky, and you are an AS*HOLE, I have to admit that much."

I'm thrown out of the door and I stumble to my feet, slipping and skidding up. I run as fast as I can while Inuyasha chases me furiously.

"GET BACK HERE YOU B*STARD!" he roars.

"Sorry! A bit busy NOT BEING SUCH AN AS*!"

_Sango(A.N: I wouldn't know how a pervert thinks besides gross thoughts, so I'm using Sango since she's not a pervert, so I can think like her)._

I sigh, shaking my head slightly. Sesshomaru stiffens and walks back to where he was sitting, resuming looking out of the window before Kota quoted what Koga had so rudely said. I note he's looking towards where Koga ran off, so I guess he's waiting for Koga to deal with him for insulting his father. It's merely a guess though. I face Rin and she's just blinking at the door.

"Do Kota and Inuyasha always hate each other like that?" she raises a brow.

"No," Kagome answers. "Usually they just leave each other at their ways."

Rin faces me. "Did you fight with anyone?"

I nod. "Miroku was being his usual self, I slapped him, I started scolding, the usual."

She cocks her head to the right. "Usual self?"

Kagome looks down and twiddles her thumbs. Miroku smirks and faces me, daring me to tell her. I sigh and scratch the back of my neck.

"Well…you see…huh…well…" I stumble with words.

"MIROKU!" we hear Mari scream.

Miroku and I stand and rush out, seeing a huge gash in Mari's head. I cringe and Miroku just stays calm.

"What happened?" he asks.

"There's a demon," she points behind her placidly.

We look up. The demon looks like a snake and a lizard demon combined with a dragon demon; dragon head, lizard torso, snake tail for legs. It's the size of about…may I say five Inuyasha's? Maybe thirty-six feet? I don't know! I just know that it's tall, and I mean _tall. _I clutch my weapon then pause for a second.

"Mari?"

"Huh?"

"Why'd you just call Miroku?"

She blinks like she doesn't understand. She sits and faces the demon, her legs crossing and her hands pushing down hard on her shins. "Fighting is useless when it's a weak demon. Besides, it ate Koga."

I drop my weapon. "WHAT?"

Kagome runs out, Sesshomaru staying inside to watch Rin, I guess. She's known for running out and helping, I assume, by the way she got herself nearly dead by that shadow samurai. I stare at the demon with wide eyes, seeing random patches of flesh pop out and return to their normal position as if somebody's kicking their way out. Kagome groans and faces Mari.

"Why didn't you fight it?" she wonders.

"Useless fighting," Mari shrugs.

"IT ATE KOGA!" Kagome gaps.

"And? He can get out."

Kagome saps her forehead and faces the demon again. She whistles and Yoshihiro charges out, ripping at the demon. I charge forward with her, but I hear whimpering along with Kagome. We turn and see Mari hugging her knees, a bit sad looking. I guess she really hates the violence.

"We have to," I sigh.

"No," Akiko sounds. I nearly forgot about her. "Just make it puke Koga up and throw on a charm. Should go in a second."

I hesitate. I hear a roar and snap my attention back to the demon, who's paying attention to Mari and Akiko.

"WRETCHED GIRLS!" It roars. "B*STARD OF A FATHER! B*TCH OF A MOTHER!"

Akiko clenches her fist, and Mari stands, her hair tumbling to hide her face.

"WRETCHED! WRETCHED GIRLS!"

It smacks Yoshihiro away and slithers for Mari. "WRETCHED! WRETCHED!"

"Nice to see you to, AS*HOLE," Mari snarls.

She leaps up and slashes at something on the back of the demon's head; a leaf. A cloud of smoke appears and what's left is Koga dribbling with saliva and acid and an aged woman with a fox tail. This should be good.

"WRETCHED!" she screams, standing and pointing at Mari accusingly. "WRETCHED GIRL!"

"What happened to girls?" Akiko growls.

The woman turns. "I said girl. My throats a bit dry, you know dear?"

I look at Akiko. "You know this woman?"

"Sango…this would be my grandmother Ash-toll."

**A.N: I keep having ideas, I can't stop it! **


	8. Goodbye

**I don't own Inuyasha, or a high school, but why would I want one? Anyways, enjoy, review, and smile every once in a while so the grumpy elves don't get you ENJOY!**

_Akiko: Good bye_

"Huh?" Miroku gaps as he helps Koga up.

"Yeah, huh?" Koga mutters, glaring at me.

"What? It's the truth," I shrug. "Can't change it, though as regrettable it is."

"Oh, come on now! You can't hate your grandmother, Aki!" Ash-toll smirks.

"Aki?" Kagome raises a brow.

I clench my fists. "I keep telling you, it's Akiko!"

"Aw, you're just a bit grumpy is all," Ash-toll smiles.

I groan and Mari runs inside, leaving a blood trail from her palms. I can tell she's upset, so I guess she decided to sit with someone she can't really get mad at: Rin. I hear crashing and look in, seeing Mari tripped on something. Rin tries to get up to help, but Sesshomaru walks next to her and rests a hand on her stomach, keeping her pinned. Mari shoves herself up and yanks a dagger out of her neck like she was flicking a fly off her shoulder. I look back at Kagome and sigh, knowing this is going to have a long explanation to it.

"Kagome, can you keep Ash-toll out here and SILENT while I get Inuyasha?" I grit my teeth. "I'd hate to repeat myself."

"Sure, go ahead," she nods, understanding something's wrong.

I run off in the direction they headed, leaving Kagome and the rest to deal with Grandmother F*CK.

_Mari_

D*m woman…D*M HER TO HE**! I drop the dagger with a loud clatter on the floor and huddle up in the corner, hugging my knees and resting my left cheek on my right knee. I hear Sesshomaru scoff and I clutch my sleeves of my kimono tighter. I mutter under my breath some curses I probably shouldn't repeat in my head and feel someone rest a hand on my shoulder.

"You know, slayer," Sesshomaru mutters, "If she's huddled up like that, it means she wants to be left alone."

"Why would you care?" Sango snaps.

He doesn't answer. I snarl to myself and hug my knees tighter, furious and trying to keep it in. Sango rubs my shoulder blade and I can feel Rin's stare. I know she cocks her head to the side and hugs her knees with her single arm, which makes my left elbow ache at the thought of it snapping off. I sigh and drop my arms, letting my legs straighten and my head to turn to just face down. I glance at Sango and grin a bit, allowing her to smile. She thinks it's real, but it's only half real. I glance outside and snarl to myself again. Ash-toll, just sitting there awaiting Akiko. I never understood her. I feel something picking at my mind and I twitch as I feel a slight jolt.

"You know you want to rip her throat out," Kagura taunts.

"Shut it," I mutter under my breath.

"Huh?" Sango asks.

"Nothing," I turn to the wall, not really wanting to talk about that wind demon.

She slumps and rubs my shoulder blade again, knowing I'm dealing with something. Being called 'wretched' gives you a hint that something bad happened. I look up at the ceiling and shut my eyes, letting my head fall onto the wall behind me. I hear a shuffling and a SLINK! I open my eyes at the smell of my own blood. I look down and I see that dagger I dropped in my wrist. I tug it out blankly and pierce it through the wood, knowing full well it'd stay in the wood. I close my eyes again and I hear a RRRIP! A SLINK follows soon after. I feel at my wrist and it's there again. I pull it out and throw it at the opposite wall, eyes still closed. I huff harshly, not in the mood for games. CRACK! SMASH! PLOP! PLOP! SLINK! I feel once more at my wrist and the dagger is there again. I push myself up, storm onto the steps, yank out the dagger with a torn vein, and hurl it at some horse. I huff and turn, clutching my fists, and I hear a SLINK, WHOOSH! I duck and cover my head, hoping it'd miss me. It did, and then I heard a scream.

"CR*P," I mutter bitterly, shoving myself up. I look up at Rin and see the dagger barely missed her right ear. I huff and stand, brushing dirt of my kimono, and dragging my body over next to Rin, setting myself down and taking the dagger out of the wall. I insert it inside my wrist, giving up, and hug my knees again, facing forward. Unfortunately for Rin, I'm on her left, which I guess is sort of an insult. I sigh and dig the dagger deeper, watching as a fifth of the blade went into my wrist. I shut my eyes and feel the sun against my face, then a rough hit to the head.

I look down to see a rock lying on my lap, a bit of blood on it. I feel at the gash to feel traces of dirt and I grit my teeth. I take the rock and force the deadly fox fire on it, morphing it into various things. Rin watches, so I try to be appropriate for twelve-year-olds. One is a sword through a samurai, and she looks at me questionably.

"Is that inappropriate?" I wonder. "Because I saw this when I was twelve and my Pa said it was perfectly normal."

"Normal doesn't translate to appropriate," she reminds. "Also, I'm just wondering why you'd bother remembering that."

I smile, this time for real. "I have my quirks."

"Obviously," she giggles.

I melt it into a woman, and then realize it has a striking resemblance to my ma. Rin smiles and rests her chin on her palm.

"She's pretty," she opinionates.

I smirk. "She is, isn't she?"

"Who is she?" Rin wonders.

"I'M…BACK…!" Akiko pants, her back against Kota's and her arms entwined with his. Her legs are scrunched up against her lower torso and Kota's expression tells me he's enjoying her on him. It's weird, but what can you do?

I stand and clutch the rock, spreading it all across my hand and forming a mold of my own hand, making sure the fingers are bent a bit and my nails are practical claws. Akiko jumps off of Kota, making him do a temporary pout face, and she sighs at the sight of Ash-toll, crossing her arms.

"You can get in now, before we all get stares," Akiko mutters.

I groan and sit flat down, glancing at Sesshomaru from the edge of my eye and rapidly flinging the mold off my hand and smashing it an inch from his head.

"SH*T," I grumble.

Rin crosses her stump with her arm and I shrug. "_He_ threw a _rock _at _you _and _you _threw a _sharp, stone hard mold of your clawed hand _at _him. _Does that make a lick of sense to you?"

"Nothing she does is sensible!" Ash-toll mutters. "Complete idiot she is!"

"I'm right here," I snarl.

"Bad thing to, since you could hurt any of these poor dears in a blink!"

I stand up, fists clenched and being watched carefully by Sesshomaru. "You're acting like they're your precious little children!"

"Well, mine all died and I WONDER WHY!" she snaps.

"MA DIED BECAUSE OF A DRAGON DEMON BY THE TITLE OF IRA!" I scream, receiving a few glances. "HEX DIED OUT OF AN ACCIDENT WITH WILD HORSES AND DRAGON-HORSE-THINGS! LASTLY, JADE WAS AN UTTER B*TCH! SHE DESERVE WHAT SHE GOT!"

"MARI, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Akiko scolds, her expression stern.

"SURE, PROTECT THE B*STARD, I DON'T GIVE A F*CK!"

I run out, blood streaming out of my eyes. I hear someone trying to catch up with me, Sesshomaru calling at them.

"Rin, get back here!" he orders.

"MARI, WAIT UP WILL YA?" Rin pants, being human and all.

I come to a jerky halt and clench my fists, angered. "Why should I?" I grit my teeth.

Her running stops. "Just what happened?"

I look down, hiding my face. "She knew."

"Knew what?" Rin pleas. "Please, you're my friend, I want to help!"

I soften my hidden expression and release my fists, letting loose a stream of blood. "Knew about the collision."

**(Flashback)** Aki was trying to contain her little bundle of hyperactivity, Akiko. Natasha was in his human form, making sure his tail was somewhat hidden from the eyes of humans. Aki didn't care about what humans thought, just what her family thought. If Natasha thought she was being loud, she'd be difficult and be silent until he got the picture and went on his hands and knees and begged for her to talk. That was everyone's favorite thing about Aki; she was difficultly independent. Akiko apparently inherited that trait somewhere, since she wanted to get down, and kicked and kicked until Aki put her down. I witnessed this, since I was in Akiko for most of her life. Ash-toll, Ma (Aki's) mother, didn't live far from this Southern village. It was frigid, for some reason, but neither of us argued against it. Since Akiko was the main body, I guess she was the one doing all of this. Ash-toll cam outside her little hut and smiled at the little girl before her eyes.

"This is my little gift?" she laughed.

"Now Ma, that's mine, I'm sharing," Aki smirked, Natasha hugging her shoulders as if not to let her go.

Ash-toll apparently sensed something in Akiko, that being me. She dragged Akiko inside and Aki was remaining outside, telling Natasha about all the great times she had there as a youngling. Ash-toll gripped Akiko's shoulders and sighed.

"Wretched curse," she muttered. "I can't believe you had to have it."

"Huh?" Akiko blinked. She never believed a word of what her grandmother said until a while later, more like two months ago.

"You have a twin, an evil one at fact. She collided with you during birth and in order to survive, you two collided to form a Ari, two souls in one demon. Ari are dangerous, and the one usually at fault is the one trapped in the other. Your twin is the evil one, and if she ever comes out, kill her, don't let her live. She's a wretched curse who should've never been born!" Like I said, Akiko didn't believe a word of it. **(End o' Flashy!)**

Rin blinks, gapping. I can tell because it's not that hard to guess a simple human reaction. "She was wrong; you're not wretched! Naïve, but not wretched!"

I smirk. "Ari are rare, valuable to. If they split and both parts lived, that's even greater. Ari have extreme power, but both halves contain a different ability that no other demon of their nature can learn."

"You?" she asks.

"Anything to do with fox fire is my personal, so I guess the varying of the heat," I shrug. "Akiko is probably her ENORMOUS PRIDE!" I tease from a distance.

"HA, HA, MARI!" I hear Akiko call. "NOW GET YOUR AS* IN HERE!"

Rin looks at me and sighs. "I thought you were acting like a child," she smirks.

I look up and see a butterfly. I watch it and hold out my index finger, awaiting it to land. Once it does, I take out a daisy from my kimono and set it on that, planting the end of the flower stem in the side of the path. Rin smiles and I glance at the stump, shuddering.

"Get your forearm reattached, will you?" I tease. "I mean, I'd like to keep in my air."

She rolls her eyes at the ruined punch line and places a hand on my left shoulder blade, gently pushing me back to our temporary residence. I pause and grab a rock, forming a figure that looks like my mother. I run back to the flower and set it next to it, carving 'AKI' into the ground in front of it. I concentrate and place a barrier around my tribute to Ma, hoping she'd accept it.

"_It's beautiful, Mari," _a voice whispers.

I hug my knees and bury my head between my knees, sobbing blood out of the pain I had out of missing my Ma. Rin rubs my back and prays, me following her in her prayer. Inuyasha comes out and stares at us as we pray to a flower, a petrified butterfly that remains alive, and a stone. I smile and stand along with Rin, still allowing blood to flow down.

"Akiko," I hear Inuyasha call, "your sister went crazy."

"Sit," Kagome commands.

I laugh as I hear him thud onto the ground, more blood passing through my eyes. Rin pats my back and slowly leads me back, Inuyasha rising up. He squints at the tribute and thinks about it. He widens his eyes with realization and smacks his head, standing up and sitting in the corner of the hut. Rin pushes me through the entrance lightly and Ash-toll scoffs.

"Scum," she scoffs.

"Aki doesn't think so," I mutter.

Aki knew, I realize that now. Akiko smiles and I guess she knows that now as well. Pa was left clueless like usual. Ash-toll stiffens and Shippo scratches his head.

"Who the He** is-"

Inuyasha clobbers his head. "Finish that and you die."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaims.

"I forgot why we're here," I shake my head.

Rin giggles and I glance at Sesshomaru smirking. My eyes feel like melting. Did he just smile? Oh crud he was smacked hard. Rin chuckles at my expression and sits down. I sit down next to her and she's struck with a sudden realization. I poke her upper left arm and she turns, understanding that I want to know what she realized.

"Mari is Ari with a 'M'," she whispers.

"What's an Ari?" Miroku asks. Of course he was listening.

Rin blushes and my eye twitches, showing annoyance. Ash-toll moves to answer, but I step up.

"An Ari is the result of two demons combining into one during birth. They're extremely rare, and I'm not mentioning the other because of your personality, Miroku," I chuckle. Rin smirks, guessing his personality in a snitch. "There're only two Ari in the world that have been separated and both halves living to tell the tale. Akiko and I are one, the other…well that's unimportant. One half of the Ari is typically good, one bad. Last time I checked, there's only ten Ari in the world since the beginning of time. I'm not sure how exactly fate chooses who to make Ari, but it happens."

"I have a guess who was declared the bad half," a male voice grumbles. It's Koga, and he glares at Akiko.

"What did I do?" she demands.

"First week," he states.

She ponders and blushes. "That was Kota's fault."

"NO IT WASN'T!" Kota screams.

I exchange glances with Rin and she rests her head on my shoulder, tired out. I pat her head and I fall asleep as well, smiling at the thought of my Ma.

_Rin_

Somebody roughly shakes my shoulder, making me awaken. I flutter my eyes to see Akiko, a worried expression on her face. She huffs and shakes me again, making sure I'm awake.

"What?" I grumble.

"You haven't noticed?" she points to my left arm.

I turn to see the forearm and elbow are secure, but I also notice a slight cut on my thumb knuckle. It's not large, but large enough to be noticed.

"Where'd I get that cut?" I ask.

"That's…never mind then…anyways, Inuyasha and the others are going tomorrow, and Sesshomaru said he's also leaving tomorrow, so if you have anything to discuss with Mari, now would be a good time."

I sigh and push myself up, gentle with the forearm. I walk out and Mari is on the roof, catching fireflies and releasing them so they land on her nose. She spots me and waves, sliding down and landing on her feet. I smirk and we walk in the direction of South, just talking. Mari likes various things that resemble tranquility, and she loves to sleep because it gives her energy and dreams. She also likes racing, but she can't do that with me or that'd be cheating. She's also not that religious, but she's connected to the Sacred Jewel for Demons out of pure creating half of it. The only reason she was able to make it is because she was calmed down by the thoughts of friendship, love, and courage, and she was wise enough to follow directions and identify her own sister. She was also wise for watching everything Akiko did so if she was released, she'd know what to do. I admire her for that.

We continue and I spot that monk and his group, roaming the streets at expected reports of demons. Mari tries to stuff her tail in her kimono, making me laugh, and she can't fit it in. The monk spots her and her bushy pale orange tail, dragging me away from her.

"Woman, you know this is a demon, right?" he asks.

"Yes, and she's my friend!" I snap, yanking my right arm out of his grasp. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave her alone."

Mari whimpers and ducks behind me, shivering like crazy. She's not scared much, but it is freezing out. "A demon is a demon miss," he sighs.

"A human is a human to, but you don't see demons randomly slaughtering them!" I argue.

He raises a brow. "You wouldn't happen to know a young girl who follows a demon, would you?"

"Yes…let's just put it at the fact that she should be dead, but a stupid cure had side affects and…I think you can get it."

His eyes remain calm as he catches on. "So you're still following demons."

"A demon. This is a friend I made. As long as you don't P*SS her off, she's perfectly fine."

"Please don't say P*SS," Mari whispers. "It's rude."

"Says the girl who runs out on people."

"Okay, how'd you get in this mess then, smarty?"

"A gray hand, how many times do I have to repeat that?" I turn to her.

"A lot apparently," she smirks.

I pat her head and her ears prick up, wriggling. I giggle and turn back to the monk, 100% somber.

"We'll be on our way now," I bow my head.

Mari and I make our steps, and I'm grabbed by the monk on the wrist, yanked to the side, and Mari jumps out of the circle in time to retrieve me and run off. Like I said, I'd loose a race against her hands down. I hear a crash and a slash and I look forward, screaming. Bandits.

"Hey, there are two women!" one howls.

"Pretty to," another laughs.

"Get away, get away," I whisper continuously to Mari. "Please for the love of Buddha get away!"

She turns to leave, but there are yet more bandits in front of us. "Just kill me," she mutters.

I drop off her back and swipe out Kana, not forgetting about my sword for a second. They laugh and I scowl, not about to let them kill Mari like they did with the rest of my family. Yes, I said 'rest of my family'. I slash at one and he falls, headless. Another laughs and swings at me, but something shoots through his chest and causes him to fall. I look to see Lord Sesshomaru's whip. I hit the ground, dragging Mari along, and he charges at the other bandits, making us plenty of room to get away. Mari sighs and looks at her wrist, showing me a nasty scrape.

"Kagome might be able to fix that," I shrug.

"Yeah…"

Suddenly, it's quieter than usual. I turn onto my back to see Lord Sesshomaru offering his hand to help me up. I accept it and he yanks me up with no effort, making sure I don't trip on my own two feet. He drops my hand and faces down at me.

"Rin, we're leaving," he says, turning and walking away.

I sigh and turn to Mari. "I hope we see each other again."

She digs around and hands me a mirror of sorts. The frame is black with a white rose top that never dies (you can see the difference) attached onto the top frame. I smirk, understanding the reason, and hug her momentarily, running after Lord Sesshomaru.

"Good bye, Mari!" I wave.

"Good bye, Rin!" she waves back. "Don't forget to watch your-" I trip onto my left arm. "-step. I think I jinxed that one…"

I push myself onto my knees. "You think?" I laugh.

I push myself up and my legs feel numb. I look down and see a deep line crossing both backs of my shins. I curse under my breath and I'm suddenly lifted up onto someone's back. I look to see Lord Sesshomaru, placid looking as ever. I hug his neck and I swear he smiles at the gesture, not minding at all.

_Inuyasha_

"Mari, you ready?" I call.

"HOLD ON!" she struggles to get the jewel to stay in her hand without it pushing itself out. I roll my eyes and smirk, understanding her kind nature.

I glance over at the little tribute Rin and Mari made yesterday, smirking wider. Aki is Mari and Akiko's mother, and Aki was murdered, taken away from her twins. I can feel their pain, I lost my mother. Mari jumps out, the pearl tight in her hands and she smiles at me.

"Ready!" she declares.

"Obviously," Koga grumbles.

"Just because you were eaten alive by some old grouch doesn't mean you have to be so grumpy," Natasha reminds.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Hey, he's just trying to help," Kota sighs.

"Ditto."

"Koga!" Mari calls. "I think Yoshihiro found some food. Can you go check?"

"Sure, Mari," he shrugs.

I roll my eyes and Kagome comes up and kisses my cheek, making me blush. "What was that for?" I raise a humored brow.

"For being nice for a whole minute," she teases. She kisses my cheek again and walks over to Akiko and Sango, while Miroku tags with Shippo and Natasha. It's a regular day, but I can tell it's a bit difficult for Mari. She had to say good bye to a new friend, but with our luck, it won't be long until we see each other again. I walk next to Mari and she starts juggling fox fire, managing to balance some on her nose. Yep, just a regular day. Some lands on Miroku's robes and it starts to spread. Almost everyone but Mari, Akiko, Kota, and I try to put it out, but we're just laughing. Yep, a regular, happy day.

**A.N: How'd you like it? Review please and I'll make some more fan fictions soon. I type for these almost every day, so.**


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